


Happily Ever After; All Over Again

by GreekEvilRegal24



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dragon Queen but like for a few chapters, F/F, SQ is the main ship, Trust me this story is good just give it a chance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-03-31 11:27:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 80,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13974147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreekEvilRegal24/pseuds/GreekEvilRegal24
Summary: Sequel to "Happily Ever After?"Eighteen months after Regina and Emma's divorce things had started falling into place. At least, that's what the two women had thought; Their sons though, had a different idea. Will the three boys, along with some adult help, manage to bring their parents together? Will Regina be open to a possible reconciliation with Emma? Or is it too late for them?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I'm back!
> 
> A lot of you have asked for a sequel to "Happily Ever After?" and I thought why not? I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> P.S 1: This story has no beta so try to ignore any typo or grammatical error
> 
> P.S 2: I will update this story every Wednesday and Sunday 
> 
> P.S 3: There won't be any other sequel to this story so I hope I satisfy anyone with its ending!
> 
> G.E.R

18 Months Later...

"Boys, breakfast is ready!" Regina shouted as she put another pancake on a plate before placing in on the kitchen table. It was the beginning of another school year and havoc was noticeable in the Mills' household.

Eighteen months had passed since she and Emma had taken a divorce and life had finally started being normal once again. Truth be told, when the boys heard the news about their parents' separation, they didn't take it so well. For several weeks, chaos prevailed at the house, with Ezra and Colin crying and asking about Emma or giving the silent treatment to Regina. The same though, would happen when Emma would take the kids for the weekend. It had taken a lot of talks with both the mothers present and sometimes Cora, to help the kids get used to this new situation. Things hadn't been easy the first few months and the younger boys would try many things to bring their parents together again, but as months went by they eventually gave up. Henry on the other side, even though he had started warming up to Emma and they both would spend a lot of time together just the two of them, he didn't want Regina and Emma to try again. For one, he liked having two places to stay when he would have a fight with either of his mothers and secondly he didn't want for Regina to get hurt again. So, when the boys asked for his help he refused to get involved.

"I can't find my blue shirt!" Henry yelled from upstairs, making Regina roll her eyes.

"Mom, Colin won't help me with my shoes" Ezra yelled at the same time and his sentence was also followed by Colin's protests.

"I left my bag at Mama's place!" He whined.

"Welcome to a single mother's life" Regina roll her eyes at Mal, who had dropped by that morning to help Regina with breakfast as the latter knew that her boys wouldn't be ready until last minute. And judging by the yells, she knew she was right.

"I missed watching the boys giving you a hard time" Mal chuckled, enjoying every minute of it but at Regina's death glare she coughed and changed the topic.

"Do you want me to help you with these?" She asked as she pointed at the pancakes.

"I'd be so thankful if you did!" Regina retorted before sprinting out of the kitchen and upstairs to the boys' bedrooms.

"Your blue shirt is on the laundry so choose another one but just so you know, the red one would look good with these jeans" She advised Henry as she passed by his room while walking towards Ezra's one.

"Thanks, mom" She heard him saying and grinned to herself. Yeap, her boys still needed her.

As she entered the room, she noticed her younger son sitting on the bed and trying to tie his shoelaces but failing. She smiled to herself and crouched in front of him, letting his feet fall on her lap.

"I thought Emma taught you how to tie them?" She half asked half said.

"She did" Ezra admitted, but his eyes weren't meeting Regina's.

''But?'' Regina asked again.

"I wasn't paying attention" He mumbled making Regina chuckle.

"I see. Well, I'll show it to you one more time and you better watch this time mister" Regina patted his son's nose with her index finger earning a nod and a fake sneeze from the boy.

"So, are you ready for your first day at school?" Regina inquired the Benjamin of the family, as she was tying his shoes.

Despite all of Regina's wishes that her boy stayed a toddler forever, the time that he would go to school for the first time had come. His therapist was all certain that he was ready for such a big step, as his vocabulary was similar to his peers, his communication skills were perfect-Regina did really thank Ashley for that- and the boy didn't seem distraught at all when his mothers told him about the possibility of him starting school.

"I am" The boy grinned. "I'm gonna make a lot of friends and learn a lot of new stuff!"

"I know, baby boy. I'm so proud of you" She said as he kissed his temple. "And now I do believe it's time for breakfast. Mama will be here in a few minutes to drive us to school. Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, I'm ready, mama" Ezra replied as he put his hands around Regina's middle hugging her tightly.

"If you feel lonely when I'm at school, play with Simba. That's what I do when you and mama are at work" The boy said sincerely and Regina tried really hard not to cry in front of the boy.

"I will, my love" She smiled and gave one last peck on his cheek, before letting him leave the room and join his brothers downstairs.

After tidying her sons' bedrooms she joined them and Mal in the kitchen for a family breakfast. And yes, after Mal helping Regina and the boys adjust to this big change in their life Regina could confidently say that Mal had become a part of her family. The boys loved her as their own mother and the would also spend some time together even without Regina. Regina and the boys had also met Mal's daughter, Lily and took a shine on her immediately. That was one of the reasons that the younger brunette would visit more often, to spend some time with her mother and cousins as she would call them.

Their small family moment was however interrupted by a knock on the door. Regina stood up and headed towards the front door, but young Ezra had beaten her to it. Reaching the front door, she was met with her blonde ex-wife lifting their son in her arms and kissing his cheeks.

"Good morning, dear" Regina greeted her ex-wife.

"Regina, hey!" Emma smiled back as she let Ezra to his feet.

"The boys aren't ready yet, so you can join us for breakfast if you'd like," Regina said as she closed the front door and walked beside her wife.

''I already had one at Nate's but thanks anyway. I can wait for the boys in the living room" She said as she moved towards it but Regina's voice stopped her.

"You know she won't bite. And besides, it wouldn't hurt to come and say hello" Regina prompted.

After a few moments of silence, Emma relented following Regina back in the kitchen.

Even though the boys loved Mal, Emma, after an incident which involved Ezra and him calling Mal mom by accident, causing a big fight between Regina and her, tried to stay as far away as she could from the other blonde. Her thoughts about Mal were really complicated; the first few months she was plain jealous of the other woman, as she was afraid of her making a move on her wife. Then she was really thankful for her being on Regina's life, especially after the divorce, as the other woman really helped Regina move on and even starting talking to Emma again. But after that incident, Emma became even more distant towards the other blonde.

"Hey, ma!" Henry said through a mouthful of pancakes, grinning at his mother.

"Yeap, definitely my son" Emma joked as he ruffled his hair before taking a chair and sitting next to Colin.

"Easy there big guy!" He said to her other son, who was eating as fast as his brother, kissing his cheek.

"Emma, would you like some coffee?" Mal, who was standing next to the coffee pot, offered.

"No, I'm good, thank you" Emma replied tightly before turning her attention back to her sons.

"So, Bubbah, are you ready for school?" at which the boy nodded enthusiastically. Emma beamed at him and reached to ruffle his hair.

When all the boys had finished with their breakfast and Regina cleaned the table, the whole family, after checking that the boys had everything they needed with them, left the house and Mal behind. Henry opted to walk to school as being seen with his mothers and brothers wouldn't be considered cool by his friends. So, Regina, Emma, and the two younger boys left for the school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Less than a half an hour later the family had arrived in front of the school's entrance. Colin, after giving a kiss to both his mothers left in search of his friends. Ezra seemed quite eager to follow his brother and go friend-hunting but Regina stopped him before he could run away. Crouching down so as to meet his eyes, she said to him.

"Alright there baby, this is it. Go in there and make friends. Remember, be good and don't initiate fights unless someone comes to you first okay?"

"Yes mama" They boy nodded before hugging his mother tightly. After their hug, Regina stood up quickly, before Ezra could see the tears in her eyes. Emma also gave him a small speech about being good and after a strong hug, she let him go.

Regina and Emma stayed in silence for a few minutes, Emma allowing her ex-wife to composure herself before talking.

"He's gonna be alright Regina. He's ready for it" Emma soothed as she reached for the brunette's hand squeezing it softly.

''I know but I'm worried. He is shy and I don't want the other kids to see that as a weakness and start bothering him." Regina admitted.

"Look, Colin will be there watching him. He wouldn't let his baby brother being bullied. Besides, I'm pretty sure that Ezra can take care of himself" Emma said.

"You're right I'm sorry" Regina replied and then continued "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Emma asked confused.

"This weekend would you mind if the boys wouldn't come stay with you?" At Emma's still confused face, Regina elaborated. "Mal suggested we go to her lake house this weekend since the weather is still nice."

"I don't know Regina, I have planned a really fun weekend with the boys" Emma admitted.

"I know and I hate asking that from you, but it's a good opportunity for the kids, one last trip before school and responsibilities start for good." Regina implored and Emma really tried to say no but eventually, she gave in.

"Fine, but we're doing Thanksgiving at my parents" Emma declared.

"Of course, it's a family tradition after all" Regina agreed, making Emma smile at the family part.

"So.." Emma began changing the subject "I actually have a couple of hours before going to court and I was wondering if you'd like to grab a coffee? We haven't really talked the past week and it's a good opportunity to catch up"

"Ι would love to, but I have already made plans with Kathryn and Mal. We're taking Simba for a walk and then we're going for lunch. So, rain check?"

"Yeah, sure! Just call me whenever you want, for some coffee, lunch or even a bottle of wine." Emma smiled "Anyway, do you want me to drive you back home?" Emma offered.

"No, it's okay, Kathryn is picking me up. But thank you, Emma."

"No problem Gina. So, I should go. Remember, Ezra, is going to be fine." Emma reassured, before hugging Regina and leaving the school premises.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

"How are you feeling?" Mal asked once the three ladies had finished placing their offers. After Kathryn picked Regina up, they drove to Regina's house where they left the car, picked Mal and Simba up and went for a small walk to the nearest park. Their next stop was the diner nearby Regina's house, where the three women decided for an early lunch as Mal had to get back to her office.

"I'm fine dear" Regina lied, not meeting the blonde's eyes. Instead, she seemed pretty focused on whatever there was on her phone's screen.

"And I'm an astronaut" Mal sassed, earning an eye roll from the brunette.

"Fine, I'm a little worried. I mean, for four years Ezra used to be this extremely shy kid, who would avoid any stranger at any cost. And now he's in a new environment with hundreds of strangers all alone. That surely can be overwhelming" Regina said, chewing her bottom lip.

"Honey, first of all, his therapist was really positive about Ezra going to school. He survived kindergarten and he made a lot of friends. He was never secluded and as far as I remember he never came home, crying or something like that. He enjoyed that." Kathryn reasoned.

"I know and I was so proud of him but elementary school is a whole different situation. There are much more kids, a lot of them much older than him and you can't seriously compare kindergarten with primary school!" Regina huffed.

"I'm not comparing them, dear, all I'm saying is that you don't need to worry. It's not like you forced him to go. He chose to and he seemed pretty happy with this choice. If you're worried all the time he's going to pick on that and then he'll be worried too. You don't want him to start thinking that school is a bad place for him, do you?"

"Of course not! Should I call them though, to see how's he doing?" Regina asked

"No," both blondes said in unison. "In a few hours he'll be back and then you can ask him yourself. Now, enjoy what little free time you have with your best friends because you're in for a long evening with the little devils!" Mal said and Regina laughed.

"Well, they are little devils but they are mine. You can't imagine how much I miss them when they spend the weekends on Emma."

"We know dear, but imagine how hard it is for Emma to wait for five days so she can spend a weekend with them." Kathryn pointed out.

"I know and that's why I felt terrible when I asked her to take the boys away for this weekend. But she was so understanding. She didn't even start a fight."

"She surely had come a long way" Mal remarked.

"Yes, I do believe that this divorce helped her worked on some of her issues. We haven't had a fight since forever and she spends time with the boys as much as she can. Some evenings she even drops by and helps them with their homework. She had changed" Regina admitted.

"So any chance of getting back together?" Kathryn asked.

"God, no! I mean yes, she had considerably changed but I do like it that way to tell you the truth. It's fun being single again!"

"Single women out there watch out!" Mal joked and all three women burst out laughing.

"Well, I may or may not have a date next week," Regina confessed, causing her cheeks to turn pink.

"What?" Kathryn shrieked. Mal, however, was unfazed by this news.

"You knew?" the blonde asked Mal.

"Of course I knew, I set this up!" Mal grinned.

"First of all I hate you, secondly do tell more" She exclaimed, turning her attention to the brunette.

"Well, Mal a few weeks back created an account on this dating app. She made one for me, without telling me so, may I add. So, one day she dropped by the clinic, saying that she set up a date for me. At first, I wanted to strangle her but after a bit persuasion, I thought why not." Regina shrugged.

"Tell me everything you know about her" Kathryn prompted.

"It's a blind date so the only thing I know about her is the things she wrote in her bio. These being that she's around our age, she works as a photographer and that she likes kids and puppies."

"That's good! I'm so happy for you Regina! I hope it works out!" Kathryn said as she reached out, entwining her fingers with Regina's.

"Are you ready for something like this though?" the blonde asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I believe I am. I mean, yes it hasn't been a lot of time since the divorce but the marriage, in my opinion, had ended a long before that. I have missed the flirting and the exhilaration a date gives you. I have missed being flirted by someone" Regina admitted.

"Then you have all my blessings darling. Now let's eat!" Kathryn jokingly ordered.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When they finished their lunch, Regina along with Kathryn walked back home. Mal had long ago left them to get back to her office, giving to the two friends the chance to catch up a bit more. Once outside the big house, Regina noticed Emma leaning on her car while looking at her phone. Hearing the clicking of Regina's high heels, Emma raised her eyes to meet with her ex-wife and her blonde best friend.

"Hello, ladies!" Emma greeted the two women, as she put her phone in her slack's pocket.

"Good afternoon dear. I can see, it wasn't a busy day at the court." She teased.

"It was an easy case so I finished early. Besides, I really wanted to come with you and pick the boys from school. If that's okay with you" She said hesitantly.

"It is, and thank you for being here" Regina smiled at Emma who beamed back. Kathryn coughed so as to catch the other women's attention.

"Anyway, I'm going to get my car and go back to the clinic." She announced.

"Okay dear, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye" Regina waved as she stepped into Emma's car.

"Goodbye shortie!" Kathryn said back.

Once inside the car and after a few moments of silence Emma spoke.

"Did you miss them?" She asked in a low voice.

"Of course. The girls stopped me three times before I called the principal's office to ask about Ezra."

"I tried that too, to be honest, but Nate stopped me." Emma laughed.

"The brother's always on the rescue. And speaking about brothers, it's Graham's birthday next week. He asked me to invite you. He's doing it at my parent's house."

"Nice, tell him I'll be there." Emma said "And we're here" She added a few seconds later, as she pulled over in front of the school's entrance. Regina had already stepped out of the car, before it had even stopped, jogging a bit, making Emma laugh.

When Emma actually made it at the doors, Regina was hugging and kissing Ezra, like the mama bear she was, asking him a million questions, not giving, that way, the chance at the boy to talk.

"Regina, slow down a bit," Emma suggested.

"Oh right, sorry." She stood up, taking Ezra's hand in hers, as Emma hugged Colin and took his hand too.

Inside the car, the boys were talking about how the first day at school was, making the two mothers beam with pride. Colin was telling how he made friends with the girl he liked since last year and Ezra about maths and how much he loved that subject. When Regina asked him about any new friends he started talking about all the kids in his class and that he became friends with most of them. At that point, Regina's eyes had filled with tears.

"So who's in for a dinner at Granny's?" Emma offered.

"Yes!" The boys yelled in unison, causing Emma and Regina to chuckle.

"Granny it is then!"


	2. Chapter 2

It was Friday night and Emma was relaxing at her apartment with a bottle of beer on one hand while flicking the channels with the remote on the other. It had been a rather long week for her, with new cases at the firm and with the boys starting school, so a quiet evening in was what Emma really wanted. Of course, she would rather have her sons with her as she had planned a very fun weekend for them, with activities and games but she also couldn't quite say no when Regina asked her to let the boys go on a trip with her and Mal. She didn't like the Mal part but the boys were very fond of her so she tried to play nice and supportive. Sighing a bit, (a quiet evening didn't mean that it wouldn't also be boring) she grabbed her phone from the coffee table and searched through her contacts for a certain number. Finding it easily, she called and after a few ringings, the owner answered.

"Emma! I wasn't expecting for you to call" Regina admitted, a surprised tone in her voice.

"Hey, Gina! Is this a bad time? I can call later if you want. I just wanted to check whether you guys have arrived in one piece" Emma explained.

"It's okay dear and yes we had a lovely ride. The boys really enjoyed it. And the place here is fantastic." Regina exclaimed happily.

"That's good!" Emma replied, in a cracking voice. She really wanted to be there with her sons and ex-wife. "Anyway, can I speak to the boys?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm afraid they can't right now. Mal had taken them with her for some shopping at the grocery shop. But I can tell Henry to call you once they're back." Regina offered.

"No, it's okay. I'll call them tomorrow. Just tell them to be careful and have fun."

''Alright Emma. Thanks for calling. Goodnight!" Regina said.

"Goodnight Regina" Emma also said before hanging up and tossing the phone back at the coffee table.

She was so happy for her sons having a good time. The past few months have been really tough for them, so an escape from the routine was definitely what they needed. But she would rather they were here. Maybe she could ask Regina to let the boys stay a few extra days with her when Christmas was around. She was thinking about how she could spend some more time with them that she almost missed the knocking on the front door. However, whoever was outside was rather persistent, so she didn't miss the next two knockings. Frowning in confusion, she got up from the couch and walked towards the door. She wasn't really expecting anyone. Opening the door, though, she was definitely sure that she wasn't expecting that person.

"Jane?" Emma said, thinking that her mind was playing games with her.

"Emma! The other blonde exclaimed before hugging Emma tightly. "Oh, it's been so long!" She said to Emma, who was still standing in front of the door without reacting. After the first wave of shock left her body, she was able to hug the blonde back.

"Jane! Wow, what are you doing here?" She asked confused once the other blonde pulled away. Remembering that they were still at the front door, she stood beside to let the other woman enter her apartment, not missing the small luggage that the other blonde was carrying.

"Oh, I'm here for a case! Our client is working here and wasn't able to come to New York so I came instead! I'm staying for a week." The blonde replied as she took at her surroundings. "Lovely home you have there. Although I thought you were living in a mansion? From what you've told me"

Oh right, Jane doesn't know Emma thought.

"It's a really long story." Emma admitted.

"Well, let me just call the hotel and inform them that I'll be there a little later and then we have all the time you want."

"Aren't you staying with your uncle?" Emma asked confused.

"No, I didn't want to stay there, to be honest. After the whole story with the firm and stuff I haven't quite faced him yet."

"Ah, I see. But, hey, it wouldn't be fair to let you stay at a hotel. You can crash here, for as long as you want. " Emma offered.

''No, Emma I don't want to intrude. Besides this is your family's house, what Regina would think if she sees me here when she comes back? Where is she anyway? After everything that had happened between us, I don't think that her seeing me would be a good idea." Jane rambled, making Emma chuckle.

"Well. We don't have to worry about Regina because she doesn't live here." At Jane's confused look she elaborated. "Regina and I got a divorce. One and a half year ago." She admitted.

"Oh my god, Emma I'm so sorry!" Jane said, genuinely sorry for what happened. "Had I known, I... I shouldn't have come here" She said before standing up, walking towards the door when a hand at her elbow stopped her.

"It's okay Jane, It's been almost two years. Come on, you can stay here. I wouldn't mind a little company. Besides, with me being at the firm and you working with your client, we won't be at each other's hair much." Emma winked, making the blonde laugh.

"Fine, I'll stay there. Now tell me what happened after I left?" Jane prompted.

'Well, let me grab a bottle of wine and I'll tell you everything" Emma promised.

And she did tell her everything. Regina kicking Emma out of their house, everyone at their family finding of Emma's affair, the distance they kept for a few months, Regina wanting to try again, their visits to Dr Hopper, their failed attempts at a date and finally the divorce. But she did also mention the good things that happened in the last eighteen months such as Ezra's starting to talk, her best friend's wedding, Gold finally making her a partner at the firm and...

"You're kidding! Nate is getting married?" Jane asked, shock evidently written all over her face.

"Oh yes, he is. He's finally settling down." Emma laughed.

"I would have never imagined Nate getting married. He was always a free spirit!" Jane commented.

"He was but after meeting Elsa I could tell he was pretty serious about it. And one day he popped the question, totally out of the blue. I'm so happy for him. They are really a perfect match for each other."

"I'm so happy for him" Jane said. "I thought about calling him, but I don't know how he'd react."

"He didn't have a problem with you. He hated me, for hurting Regina. " Emma mumbled.

"I see." Jane simply said.

"Enough about me! Tell me about you!How has your life been since you left?" Emma asked curiously.

"Well, after I left Boston, I moved back to my parent's house in Pennsylvania, for a couple of months. I sent a few applications to a few law firms in New York and one of them offered me a job. A year ago. At first, I was living with my brother, but I eventually rent my own place."

"And what about your love life? I'm sure, a woman like you wouldn't have stayed single for long" Emma said flirtatiously making Jane laugh.

"Always the charmer Swan. There has been a guy in my first months in New York but nothing serious. He wanted more, but I couldn't find myself being committed, so we broke things off. I've been single ever since."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure that you'll found your Prince Charming" Emma teased.

"Or Princess" Jane added.

"Or Princess" Emma smiled softly. During their long talk added a couple of glasses of wine, Emma hadn't quite realized how close to the other woman had come. Jane, though, was pretty aware of their distance and that's why she coughed, moving farther away from Emma.

"So, have you been single since the divorce?" Jane changed the subject.

"Yes. I couldn't really see myself dating anyone else. I also promised Regina that I will fight for our relationship and I'm not backing out. I'm going to win her back, Jane" Emma admitted.

"Have you thought that maybe Regina doesn't want that? That she might have started or thought about dating?"

"If she didn't want me to fight for us she would have told me so since the beginning." Emma shrugged.

"Had she given you any signs that she might not want that?" Jane asked again.

"What do you mean?"

"Since you've told her that, have you made any move to show her that you mean it?"

"I asked her out for a drink or a dinner a few times. Casually of course."

"And?" Jane prompted.

"She accepted most of the times." Emma replied but without meeting the blonde's eyes.

"But?" Jane pushed again.

"There's no but" Emma lied.

"I'm a lawyer dear, I can tell when people lie. Try again, with the truth this time."

"Fine" Emma huffed. "She did accept but she would always bring one of the boys or her best friend with her. I asked her out for dinner and she brought Ezra, I asked for a drink and she brought Kathryn, I told her to come over my house and she brought all the boys saying that they wanted to have a sleepover at mines. There was this time though that I managed to send the boys over to my parents and make sure that her friends wouldn't accompany her."

"And what happened?

"She brought her brother with her." Emma deadpanned and the blonde burst out laughing.

"And not only that, she kept talking only to him, asking him about his job and his fiance, as if she hadn't seen him in years!"

"Well, maybe she hadn't" Jane reasoned.

"She and the boys spent a week at his house in Seattle, last summer." Emma said grumpily.

"So, what does that tell you, Emma?"

"That she doesn't want to try again. At least not now" Emma replied.

"I'm sorry," The blonde said.

"It's not your fault." Emma waved it off. "Anyway, I think you should get some sleep. You had a tough day." Emma said as she patted the other woman's knee, prompting her to stand up.

"You can take my bedroom, I'll sleep here." Emma offered once they both stood up.

"Absolutely not, I can take the couch. Besides, you have your back."

"You are the guest and as your host, I'm telling you to sleep in my bed. Now off you go."

"Fine" the other blonde said petulantly, making Emma laugh.

As Jane, was walking towards Emma's bedroom she stopped midway and turned to face the blonde.

"I'm so happy we had some time to talk Emma. And thank you for letting me stay here."

"No problem Jane, I needed some company, to be honest, so thank you for coming over." Emma smiled sincerely.

"Goodnight Emma"

"Goodnight Jane"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was Saturday morning and Emma was peacefully sleeping when she heard some noises coming from the kitchen, causing her to become alert. However, as sleep was leaving her body, she remembered last nights events, Jane and Emma offering her a place to sleep. Feeling a little more relaxed, she got up, making her way towards the kitchen.

Once inside the room, however, her jaw dropped. The other woman was only dressed in a white tank top and blue boxers, giving a very good view of her long, slender legs. Emma gulped audibly at the side making the other woman turn around, clutching her heart, once she noticed Emma.

"God Emma you scared me!" The other woman breathed.

"I'm..uh..I'm sorry" Emma stammered.

"It's okay. Good morning sleepy head" She teased. "I made some pancakes, eggs with bacon and french toast." Jane said as she was showing Emma the different options she had for breakfast.

"You didn't have to"

"You let me stay here, so it was the least I could do. Now, what do you want for breakfast?" She asked, turning her back to Emma.

"A bit from all" Emma replied making Jane laugh.

"Of course. Emma and her voracious appetite" She teased.

"Eh, what can I say? I do love food" Emma winked once she caught the other woman's eye.

"Anyway," Jane coughed. "I called my uncle and he agreed to meet me for lunch so, I'm gonna get ready. I'll be back around four." Jane informed, as she took her plate and placed it in the sink.

"That's great, I'm going to my parents for lunch, so don't worry about me. But..uhm..do you want to go out for dinner tonight? Or do you prefer we stay home and watch a movie or something?" Emma suggested.

"A dinner out would be lovely" Jane beamed.

"Great, so I'll see you later." Emma said.

"Yeah, we'll talk later." Jane agreed and left the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was later that day when Emma decided to call her sons again. With Jane and her lunch with her parents, she had totally forgotten to call. As she was laying on her parents' couch she once again dialled Regina's number. The answer didn't take long to come.

"Hey, Regina!" Emma greeted.

"Good afternoon dear, how are you?" Regina asked warmly.

"I'm good, just finished lunch with my parents, what about you? How are the boys?"

"We also just had lunch at a lovely restaurant near Mal's house. And the boys are having the time of their life. The day was warm enough so we went fishing at the lake. Also, Lily, Mal's daughter, visited and from what I've heard she has planned a fun evening for the boys." Regina replied excitedly.

"That's really nice!" Emma commented. "Is it a good time to talk to the boys?"

"Well, I sent the younger ones for a nap but you can talk to Henry if you want" Regina suggested.

"Yeah, that would be nice, thank you. Oh and Regina, have fun with the rest of your trip. You deserve it." Emma added.

"Thank you, dear. Now take Henry"

Her talk with Henry was extremely short as the boy would reply with simple words as yes or no, so she ended it quickly. Frustrated once again, she sent a text to Jane.

"Hey, how it went with your uncle?"

The reply came really quickly;

"Surprisingly good. We cleared the air since the last time we saw each other and now he says he's happy with my choices. He also offered me to stay here, with him and my aunt."

"And what did you say?"

"That I've already booked a room and paid beforehand, so I can't leave"

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

"Do you really want to complicate things?"

"No. You did right. Thank you."

"You're welcome. So are we still in for tonight?"

"Of course ;)."

"Perfect!" And with that reply, Emma set her phone back on the table.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later that evening as Emma had recommended, the two blondes were walking down the street and towards the small restaurant Emma had made a reservation to. Emma was wearing a simple white button-up with black slacks while Jane opted for a black cocktail dress. Emma had really appreciated Jane's choice and she was fast to compliment the other woman. After that, they left Emma's apartment for the restaurant.

"So where are we going?" Jane asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's one of my favourite places to eat. The food is divine and the décor gives you some homely vibes. You're gonna love it." Emma replied.

"I'm sure your choice is really good." Jane complimented Emma who blushed a bit, so she coughed to hide her pink cheeks.

"So, everything good with Bobby"

"Yes, everything's fine. We talked about how our lives have been since my departure, my new job, his new cases, stuff like that. I've missed him so much and I'm glad he wasn't mad at me for leaving the company like that," Jane explained.

"Bobby is a great man and lawyer. I'm so happy to work with him. He's one of the best out there" Emma stated.

"I know, and that's why I accepted the job back then. But things don't always work out in our way" Jane shrugged and Emma felt a little guilty.

"I'm sorry" Emma apologized.

"For what?" Jane asked confused.

"For making you quit a job you liked." Emma explained.

"Emma, I don't want you, even for one minute, to think that this is your fault. It was entirely my choice."

"But you wouldn't even have to choose if it wasn't for me. You'd be still there working at one of the best law firms in Boston." Emma said, guilt written in her voice.

"You can't possibly know that, Emma. I might still have left for another reason. Yes, I could have still been working there after everything that has happened between us, but I was in love with you and I couldn't deal with that. So leaving the firm and Boston, even if it meant losing my dream job, was the best choice I've made so far. And I don't want you to blame yourself for that." Jane reassured

"Okay," Emma agreed and then added. "Anyway, we're here. Ready for one of the best meal you ever had?" She grinned, making Jane laugh.

The dinner had been lovely and both women enjoyed each other's company. They made small talk about trivial things, laughing and having a good time. When it was time to pay, Jane got the bill first, saying that Emma would rarely let her pay so this was her opportunity. Emma didn't complain and let the other woman pay earning a winning smile from the other blonde. After that, both ladies left the restaurant and went home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've noticed that many people have complained about how shitty this story is. My answer to you; "hey sweetie, if you don't like my story go write your own"
> 
> Secondly. We're only at chapter 3. The story ends with chapter 25. A looot of things can happen. Trust me and be patient. Yes, it's going to be a bumpy ride but this is all the fun! 
> 
> Thirdly. Jane isn't going to play a major role in this story. She's coming like a friend and nothing more. Don't be quick to hate her. I also added a few more tags to this story so as to know what to expect. I may add more as we proceed. 
> 
> And last but not least I want to congratulate the Swan Queen fandom who managed to win Zimbio's March Madness poll. After seven years we proved to everyone how strong and loyal this fandom is. I'll always be grateful for my SQ family.
> 
> Alright, that's all folks. Enjoy the story!.

It was Sunday afternoon and Emma along with Jane was in Emma's living room, drinking some wine while playing video games. When Emma had suggested it, she didn't think that Jane would have been that good and that's why she made a bet with the other woman. However, after a few minutes, she realised that it was a huge mistake and now she would have to cook for both of them, for the rest of Jane's staying.

"I didn't know you were that good!" Emma said grumpily as she tossed the controller on the coffee table earning a laugh from the other blonde.

"Emma, I grew up with three brothers, there's no way I wouldn't know how to play video games."

"I obviously didn't think of that when I made the bet!" Emma pouted earning another chuckle from Jane.

"Next time, think of all the facts before placing a bet" Jane winked.

"No, I'm not betting against you ever again. Apparently, you have aces up your sleeve. Anyway, I'm gonna pour some more wine, do you want some?" Emma asked as she got up from the couch.

"Yes, please" Jane said before loading another game as Emma made her way to the kitchen. It was after Emma had entered the kitchen that a knock on the front door was heard.

"Jane, can you please open it? I'm a little busy right now!" Emma shouted at the other blonde.

"Sure" the other blonde replied and got up to open the door. She was not prepared though, for the person who was behind the door.

"Regina!" The blonde screeched taking both of them by surprise. Regina, though, recovered quickly giving a once-over to the other woman.

"Miss Smith. What were the odds of finding you at my ex-wife's apartment, wearing her t-shirt and apparently nothing else underneath?" Regina said in a cold tone.

"It's not what it looks like" Jane quickly tried to reassure the brunette woman. "Emma has-" however, she didn't get to finish her explanation as Emma emerged from the kitchen.

"Who is it?" She asked as Jane was blocking the view.

"Miss Swan" Regina instead replied, making Emma stop dead in her tracks. Well, she was definitely screwed.

"Regina, I..I wasn't expecting you" Emma stammered as Jane let Regina in the apartment and leaving the room. It wasn't her place after all.

"Oh, I can see that dear. And sorry for ruining your plans. I'm sure you've made some since Miss Smith is here"

"Regina is nothing like that. Jane visited Boston for a case and I couldn't let a friend stay at a hotel" Emma explained making a step towards the brunette who took a step back.

"More like a sex friend" Regina jabbed.

"Regina" Emma sighed. "Nothing's going on with Jane. I told you I will fight for us."

"You might have given up" Regina muttered. "Anyway, that's not why I'm here. You are a single woman and you're entitled to have a love life. I shouldn't have criticised your choice. I'm sorry" Regina apologised.

"Regina, don't. I'm not interested in Jane. I gave you a promise I intend to keep, even if you want to push me away. She's a friend and nothing more. I still love you. I always did." Emma said honestly and Regina nodded.

"Why are you here anyway? Not that I mind, but did something happened?" Emma asked concerned.

"No, dear everything's fine. Colin forgot some of his stuff here and we stopped by to take them on our way home. The boys are waiting in the car if you want to see them" Regina offered.

"Actually I was thinking of stopping by the mansion a little later if you don't mind. And give me a minute to bring Colin's stuff" She said as she left the living room for the boys' bedroom. Mere seconds later, she was back holding Colin's backpack and some of his clothes.

"You can come for dinner if you want" Regina suggested once Emma was back.

"I'd love to but I can't leave Jane alone. But I could come over after dinner?" Emma offered.

"Yes, that would be lovely. Anyway, I should get going. See you later Emma" Regina said as she opened the front door.

"Goodbye Regina" Emma waved before closing the door behind her. That was when Jane finally re-entered the room.

"I'm sorry" Jane apologised.

"What for?" Emma asked absentmindedly.

"For causing this friction between you and Regina" Jane elaborated.

"You don't have to" Emma reassured and Jane nodded. After a few minutes of silence, both women took their respective seats on the couch, grabbing the controllers for another game.

They were playing silently for most of the time when Jane decided to break the silence.

"You know, you should go and have dinner with your family, I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked uncertainly.

"I'm sure, Emma, go. I may go to my uncle's and have dinner with them so don't worry about me, okay?"

"Okay. And thank you" Emma smiled sincerely at Jane, who grinned back, before returning to their game.

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After Jane and Emma finished their game, the latter got up and ran to her bedroom. Usually, Regina and the boys had dinner around seven, so she had about half an hour to make it there. That's why she had a very quick shower and a change of clothes before running back to the living room, where Jane was checking her emails on Emma's laptop.

"How do I look?" Emma asked, clicking her fingers to catch the other woman's attention. She was wearing black jeans, along with a white button up and black high-heeled boots.

"It's not a date" Jane teased making Emma roll her eyes.

"I know, but I dress to impress" Emma joked making Jane laugh.

"You're insufferable, now go woo your lady" Jane urged and in order to make her point, she threw a pillow at Emma's direction hitting her square in the head.

"You're gonna pay for this later." Emma threatened mockingly before grabbing her keys and leaving the apartment.

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With ten minutes to spare, Emma arrived outside Regina's house with a bottle of red wine. Thankfully, in her hurry to get there, she remembered to stop by the liquor shop and buy a bottle for Regina as well as some of the boys' favourite candies. Smiling at herself for her thoughtfulness she knocked the door, waiting nervously outside. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal not the brunette owner of the house but her blonde friend, making Emma scowl at the sight.

"Emma, hi!" Mal greeted cheerfully.

"Mal" Emma said coldly. "I thought after your long trip with Regina and my sons, you'd want some time alone" Emma assumed also emphasising that the boys were her sons. Mal opened the door wider to let the woman in as she explained.

"Ezra wasn't feeling very well so I stayed to help Regina"

"What happened with Bubbah?" Emma asked worriedly.

"Nothing to worry about, he might have eaten something bad. He's in Regina's bedroom if you want to see him. I'll let Regina know that you're here."

"Thank you" Emma said before climbing the steps.

When she arrived outside Regina's room she hesitated for a bit. She hadn't been in that room since she and Regina had that date which ended in disaster and was followed by the divorce. It was almost two years since that day. Taking a deep breath she entered the dim lit room. In the middle of the bedroom, she could see her son lying on it as he was playing a video game at his console.

"Hey buddy" Emma whispered so as not to startle the young boy, who was way too engrossed in his game to notice Emma.

"Mama!" The boy squealed once he heard his mother's voice as he stood up and jump at Emma's waiting arms.

"Woah, careful baby" Emma said as he caught him easily before letting him back on the bed.

"How does your tummy feel?" She asked her son.

"It's okay" She shrugged not meeting his mother's eyes.

"And why did your stomach hurt in the first place?" Emma asked suspiciously. He could see that the boy was hiding something. The boy, knowing he has been caught, mumbled.

"Colin said that I couldn't eat a whole pie on my own and I tried to prove him wrong."

Yeap, definitely my sons Emma smiled to herself as she herself would have never backed down from a bet that involved food.

"Did you tell mom about this?" Emma questioned even though she knew the answer. The boys shook his head negatively, confirming Emma's suspicions.

"Please don't tell her" The boy implored as he made his puppy eyes to make sure that Emma wouldn't say anything to his other mother.

"I won't but you have to promise me that you won't listen to Colin when he says these stupid things, okay?" At which the boy nodded.

"That's my boy" Emma said as she kissed his forehead. "Now come and show me what you're playing" she said as the boy crawled in her lap, making himself comfortable in his mother's arms.

That's how Regina found them, half an hour later, when she went to check on Ezra. The sight made her smile and she was ready to leave when Emma caught her movement and stopped her.

"Hey" She simply said.

"Hello to you too dear. I'm glad you could make it for dinner" Regina replied honestly.

"I'm glad I could too." Emma smiled.

"Anyway, I came to check on Bubbah and inform you that dinner is ready."

"He looks better and we're on our way" Emma replied. Regina used Emma's line as her cue to leave.

Her next stop was the kitchen where Mal was cutting some vegetables.

"How is he?" She asked without looking at the brunette.

"He's safe and sound in his mother's arms" Regina replied, smiling to herself.

"I've made the boys set the table, by the way. Everything is ready" Mal said as she turned to face Regina who was still smiling.

"What is it?" Mal asked curiously.

"It's just that I love seeing Emma interacting with the boys. It made me fall even more in love with her. She's so gentle with them and she'll do anything for them." Regina admitted.

"She's great with the boys" Mal agreed. "Did you tell her about your blind date?" The blonde woman asked out of the blue.

"No" Regina answered. "I know I should have, but I can't bring myself do it. Even after I saw Jane at her house, I couldn't do it. I don't want to hurt her."

"But you can't let her still have her hopes high Regina. You should tell her. What if the date goes well and you go out for a second or even a third date? How is Emma going to feel when she finds out? Judging from the little I know her, her reaction won't be good" Mal pointed out, making Regina sigh.

"You're right. I'll tell her after dinner" Regina decided and left the room for the dining room, ending the discussion. She hasn't noticed Emma standing outside the kitchen, hearing everything the two women had said.

Regina had noticed though, that something was wrong during the dinner. Emma would barely talk, only when the boys would address her and she hadn't touched the food at all. That made Regina even more concerned because she could count on one finger the times Emma hadn't eaten the food she had made.

"Mama!" Regina jerked at Colin's voice who was trying to catch her attention.

"What is it, sweetheart?" She asked.

"I asked you if we could go and stay with ma from Thursday to Sunday night instead of Friday night."

"If your mother is okay with that, I don't mind baby. But don't you think that your mother will let you skip shower and homework." She winked at the boy who got red in embarrassment.

"I didn't mean it like that. We didn't have enough time with ma this weekend and we missed her" The boy admitted and Regina felt a pang of guilt. Yes, the boys might have had a great time at Mal's cabin but that didn't mean that they didn't miss their other mother.

"I'm okay with that." Emma intervened before Regina could change her mind. "And don't worry, they will do their homework, they will shower and they will go to bed on time" Emma reassured.

"Great, then it is settled." Regina confirmed making all boys grin at her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After their dinner, in which the blonde engaged in a bit more conversation mostly with the boys, Regina along with Emma put the younger boys to bed. Both of them didn't comment on the fact that even after their divorce working as a team felt natural as if they were still together. They both knew that they could count on each other when it came to their sons.

Emma stayed for a little while after the boys had gone to bed, talking with Henry who was still awake. Mal had already left saying that she had to wake up early tomorrow. So the three of them were sitting in the living room, Emma listening to Henry talking about Violet and Regina watching them intently. When it was Henry's time to go to bed, he kissed both of his mothers before going upstairs and leaving the two women alone.

"Anyway, I should go" Emma said as she heard Henry's door closing behind him.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you" Regina began but Emma quickly cut her off, before she could say anything else.

"Listen, I heard everything about your blind date. I didn't mean to but I was coming to the kitchen when I heard you talking to Mal about it and how I could react." Emma confessed.

"And?"

"And, as you said to me this morning, you are a single woman. You can date whoever you want, without getting my permission first." Emma tried to shrug it off, but Regina could see how hurt she was.

"It wasn't about asking your permission, Emma. I know that you get jealous easily and I know that you want to fight for us. I also know that I did sort of encourage you when you said that. I just can't find myself dating you right now. I want to try with other people first. We had been together for twelve years. I think it's time I met someone new. It may work out but it also may not. I mean who wants a divorcee with three kids?" Regina joked.

"Regina, no" Emma said, taking Regina's hands in her own. "Anyone would be lucky to have you and meet the boys. You are an amazing woman, don't you ever forget that. And if someone doesn't choose you because of our sons is a big fat idiot.I'm sure your date will be lovely" She smiled making Regina smile back.

"Thank you for understanding" Regina whispered before hugging Emma who reciprocated the action. After their hug came to an end Emma spoke.

"I should go."

"Yes" Regina agreed and walked Emma to the front door.

"Oh and Emma. Give my regards to Jane."

"I will. Goodnight Regina" Emma said kissing the other woman's cheek.

"Goodnight Ems" And with that, she closed the door behind her.

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Upon returning to her apartment Emma had completely forgotten that Jane would be here. She internally groaned as she didn't want to face the other woman or any other person for that matter. She was hurt by Regina's choice to move on by going on a date, so she wanted to spend the rest of the night drinking and wallow in her pity. On one hand, she wanted the best for Regina and if that was with another person then she would put on a brave face and accept it. On the other hand, she couldn't believe that this would hurt so much. She should have tried harder to win her back. She shouldn't have given so much space to Regina at the beginning of their divorced lives. On that note, she shouldn't have cheated on Regina in the first place. Why did she really do that? She was happy with Regina and with her sons. She had a stable job, a family that she loved more than anything and someone who loved her as much as she did. She was happy. But of course, Emma had to ruin that up as always. First with the promotion that she didn't get. Regina would have never thought less of her because she didn't get the promotion. Emma, though, was raised to never quit. That's why she was so angry when Jane got it. She thought she was unworthy, both of her family and her job. And then Jane came along and she gave Emma what she needed. Someone to believe in her. Someone to challenge her. Regina did believe in her, Regina did love her and support her. That's when it hit her. She had taken Regina for granted. She thought that Regina would always be around, waiting at home and taking care of her every need. This made her sick to her stomach. She always got furious of these couples in which one of them was a pig. She had been a pig to Regina. She was lying to her and she hurt her. She hurt her in the worst way possible. And that's why Regina didn't deserve her. She deserved someone who would even worship the ground that she steps on. Someone who would love her and never hurt her. Someone that would not be Emma Swan.

The door to her apartment opened to reveal a very concerned Jane.

"You've been fumbling with your keys for about five minutes." She explained when Emma looked at her confused.

"What happened?" She asked when both women were inside the house.

"Regina wants to move on" Emma simply said.

"I'm sorry, Emma" Jane replied as she dragged the other woman to the couch, letting her lay her head on her lap.

It was after one in the morning that Emma managed to close her eyes after she had cried herself to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

It was Thursday evening and Emma was outside Regina's house so as to pick her sons. She hasn't seen the other woman since their dinner, the previous Sunday, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Regina, according to Henry, was having her blind date today and she surely would be getting ready for it right now. So Emma had formulated a plan in her mind in order to avoid her ex-wife; she would knock, enter the house, get her kids and flee as quickly as possible. It was a great plan but it went downhill as soon as the door opened. Here she was, her beautiful ex-wife and lover, dressed in a simple yet elegant black dress, light make up on her face and her hair perfectly coiffured as always. Emma forgot how to breathe for a moment. She used to be hers. She used to get dressed like this for her, for their dates. But she had screwed up. Another woman would compliment Regina tonight. Another woman would spend some time with this beautiful creature.

"Emma?" Regina asked confused, as Emma hadn't said anything for a few minutes. This, though, snapped the other woman from her thoughts.

"Huh?Oh, I'm sorry..I...I got distracted" Emma stammered, then lowered her head to hide her blushing cheeks.

"It's okay, dear. Come in, the boys aren't ready yet" She informed the other woman as she let her in.

"I could have waited in the car," Emma said, avoiding to look at Regina.

"Don't be silly. This house used to be yours too. Anyway, I have a few final touches to put, so if you excuse me. I have an open bottle of wine in the kitchen. You can have a drink while you're waiting for the boys." Regina suggested.

"No, I'm good. I'll be waiting in the living room" Emma said and Regina nodded before leaving the blonde alone.

As she was waiting for the boys, Emma was wandering around the living room since she was too nervous to sit down. She stopped in front of the bookcase. It was where Regina was keeping the photo albums. Without putting much of a thought she grabbed the first one she could reach. Sitting on the floor, she opened the album. It was Colin's one, from his birth until the day he went to school. She had one for each one of their sons. Flipping the pages, she stopped at one of her favourite photos. It was Regina, sleeping with both Henry and Colin in her arms. She had been the one to snap the picture. Her mind took her to that particular day:

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Emma was in the backyard mowing the lawn and taking care of Regina's favourite flowers. She was keep saying to Regina that she'd do it but she would always leave it for another day. As a result, Regina would instead take care of it as she wanted her backyard to look impeccable. This time though, both their sons had been a handful all day and Emma took a pity on her wife so she thought she could relieve Regina by doing all the chores in the house, leaving her wife to deal with the boys. It's not that Emma couldn't handle them but at moments like these, the boys would choose Regina to calm them down.

Cleaning her eyebrow from the sweat, Emma sighed. She had finished the task and successfully if she said so herself. Entering the house, she went straight to the kitchen where she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. It was a very warm day and she'd rather spend it by the pool, drinking a beer with her friends. Suddenly an idea struck to Emma. Checking the fridge for supplies she climbed the stairs towards her and Regina's bedroom. Opening the door, the sight melted her heart. Here she was, her gorgeous wife, dressed in a tank top and tight shorts, sleeping peacefully. What made her heart fluttered though was her two sons who were sleeping alongside with her; Colin was sleeping on top of Regina, his head on Regina's chest, as her right arm was keeping him secure in his place. Henry was sleeping on Regina's left side, his head on her neck as he was sucking on his thumb. It was a bad habit that he still had despite him being almost six years old. Taking the camera from the bedside table she snapped a picture. However, she had forgotten to turn the flash off, something that woke her beautiful wife up. Confusion was written all over her face, making Emma laugh.

"What happened?" Regina asked a bit disoriented.

"You were sleeping with the boys, and the sight was very cute, so I took a picture of you guys" Emma replied as she kissed her wife's lips.

"Oh, okay," Regina said as she placed Colin beside Henry so she could get up. "Did you finish with the lawn?" She continued.

"Yeap, all done! Anyway, I had an idea, that's why I came here." Emma admitted.

"What is it, love?" Regina asked lovingly. She looked like an angel after a refreshing nap.

"Well, as you can see, the weather is really warm and I was thinking of maybe inviting our friends and family over and have a barbeque. The boys will love the attention from all their uncles and we need some time to relax" Emma suggested.

"That sounds lovely baby. Do we have everything we need?"

"Nope, but I'll stop by the grocery store and buy some of them. Don't worry about anything. You just have to wear your sexiest bikini, dress the boys in their swimsuits too and leave everything else up to me." Emma said as she kissed her wife once again.

"Okay, Mrs Swan" Regina smiled and pushed Emma out of the room. But Emma hasn't quite finished yet.

"Hey, Regina?"

"Yes, love?"

"What would you say about having another munchkin?" Emma asked hopefully.

"We'll talk about it later. Now off you go" And with that Emma left the room.

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"I remember that day," Regina said from behind Emma, startling her.

"It was the day I told you about us having another child" Emma added.

"And the day you ate six burgers and three hot dogs," Regina said jokingly making Emma laugh.

"That too." She chuckled as she stood up, coming face to face with Regina. She had applied some more make up, making her eyes even darker and predatory than before. Emma gulped before taking a step back.

"You look stunning, Regina" Emma complimented the brunette.

"Thank you, dear," Regina said, blushing a bit. She always loved taking compliments from the other woman. They made her more confident and sure about herself. Snapping from her thoughts she noticed Emma staring at her.

"We're ready!" Henry's voice boomed inside the house as he and the boys were walking down the stairs.

"And that's my cue." Emma smiled at Regina " Have a nice date, Regina. I hope she's everything you're looking for" She said before leaving the room and the house, as she told the boys she'd wait in the car. She had tried to hide the pain, but for a second Regina was able to see it.

"Alright," Regina said, facing the three men of her life. "I want you to be good for mama okay? No fights, no staying up late and you'll bathe when Emma say so." At which the three boys nodded.

"Okay, have fun my loves," She told them before kissing each one of them, leaving Henry last.

"Take care of them" She simply said.

"And you have fun at your date. I'll call you tomorrow evening to tell me how it went" Henry smiled at his mother before leaving the house.

Regina, after the boys left the house, started feeling nervous. When the boys were here she was occupied with them, helping them pack their stuff for their weekend with Emma, cleaning their rooms and generally hearing their voices while they were bantering between them. Now she was alone and the only thing she could think of was her impending date. A thread of what-ifs entered her mind; what if she didn't like her sons? Or what if she judged her for her choices? Well, it was a risk she'd have to take. Taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves she grabbed her purse and her car keys and left the house. It was time for her blind date.

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During her ride to the restaurant, Regina hadn't managed to calm her nerves. She had tried putting some relaxing music on the radio, doing breathing exercises and even calling Mal for some pep talk. However, none of these worked. She couldn't quite fathom why she was feeling that nervous. She had dated before. Hell, she had done more than that. She had been married, she had two births and a divorce, all equally or even more stressful than that. But here she was, feeling like that for a date. Truth be told, Regina hadn't dated in a while. Excluding Emma, Regina hadn't been on a date with another person for twelve years. Surely she knew how to flirt or how to start and maintain a conversation but she did feel a bit rusty. She didn't want to be one of those people who only talked about work or her children. She wanted to show that she was an interesting woman, that she has hobbies and other activities. Her sons were always saying that she was a cool mom. But they were her sons so they couldn't be that objective, especially when they wanted to ask something from her. Well, she would work it out with what she had. Having this inner conversation, Regina hadn't realized that she had arrived. It was a fancy restaurant, one that she has never been before, Mal had recommended it, and Regina could tell that it was the perfect place for a first blind date. Exiting her car and passing the keys to the valet she entered the restaurant. Mal had told her that her date would hold a lily so Regina could recognize her. Having a quick scan around the place Regina spotted her easily. Her first thought she had was that she was gorgeous. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and her blonde hair was in an elegant bun. She must have been a few years older than Regina since her beautiful blue eyes gave her a sense of maturity. Walking towards her, Regina spoke.

"Hello, I'm Regina Mills. Your blind date" Regina admitted, flashing a smile at the other blonde.

"Hello, Regina, I'm Ingrid Fischer, it's so nice to meet you," The other woman said, as she gave her hand to the other woman to greet. After shaking their hands, Regina took a seat opposite from Ingrid spending a few minutes in silence so they can size each other up.

"So, Regina, according to your bio, you have three kids and you work as a vet." Ingrid broke the silence first.

"Yes, I have an animal clinic along with my best friend. I've been working as one for the past 15 years." Regina explained easily.

"And what about your sons?" Ingrid asked again.

"My first son Henry is fifteen, almost sixteen years old and he is my ex-wife's biological son. I've adopted him though after we got married. My middle son, Colin is ten years old and my youngest, Ezra six. Colin and Ezra are my biological sons" She said.

"Ah, I see" Ingrid nodded.

"What about you? According to your bio, you work as a photographer and you are very fond of kids and canines."

"I am a photographer in a woman's magazine, although I do take photographs for weddings too. I don't have any kids but I've fostered some in the past." Ingrid admitted.

"That sounds amazing. I've always admired people who help kids which are in need. I wanted to foster too, in the past, but well, three kids kind of gave me a pause"

"I know, it can be quite challenging especially when you have kids on your own. Anyway, tell me about you." Ingrid prompted. There was a small pause when the waiter took their orders and after that Regina continued.

"Well, I'm recently divorced and that means that now I have much less of a free time as my kids monopolize most of it. When I do have free time though, I like watching movies and tv series, visiting museums, mostly with my sons, playing video games and reading books." Regina listed and then added, "What about you?"

"Well, in my free time I mostly take photographs" She chuckled "It is both my hobby and my job, to be honest. Though, when I am alone I like to take pictures of sceneries and sometimes people. Aside from that, I like painting and playing the cello." Ingrid admitted.

"Oh, I do play the piano myself. My mother was very adamant about me and my siblings learning an instrument, whichever we wanted, so I chose the piano. I've also taught my sons how to play."

"Piano teaches discipline and harmony. I always liked the period instruments more than the more modern ones."

"I agree, but we've also given them the choice to try other instruments too."

"You must be an amazing mom" Ingrid complimented making the other woman blush.

"I do try. I mean there are times that they can be quite a handful but I love them no matter what. When they leave the house to spend the weekend with my ex-wife, it is so empty. I complain about them being loud sometimes but when I'm alone I miss the noise they make" Regina chuckled, "I'm sorry, I made myself a promise that I won't talk about my sons all the time" Regina said.

"It's okay, I love kids. In fact, I have a few interesting and funny stories from when I fostered"

"I can't wait to hear them all!" Regina urged making Ingrid laugh as she started her first story.

It was past nine when Regina and Ingrid decided to leave the restaurant. During their two-hour dinner, Regina and the blonde woman had talked about everything and nothing in particular. They shared some funny stories about their kids and their jobs, Regina gave some tips to Ingrid about dogs and cats, as the latter was thinking of adopting one, they talked about their roots, Regina being half Latina from her father's side, and she also said that she could speak a bit Spanish, Italian and French. Ingrid admitted that her parents were from Norway, that she had two sisters both of whom had died tragically in a car accident and that she herself could speak Norwegian, Swedish and German. They also made it to a point that Regina told her about her divorce and what caused it, saying everything about Emma and Jane. Ingrid urged to say that she made a good choice and that she shouldn't have second thoughts. Regina could tell that Ingrid would make a tremendous partner. She was beautiful, intelligent and sincere. She loved kids and they had many common interests. However, there wasn't that spark that she'd make her see the other woman romantically. Yes, she was a perfect match, but not for her. And that's why Regina hesitated when Ingrid talked about a possible second date. Ingrid sensed this hesitation and she didn't pressure more but she did tell Regina that she would always be available for a coffee even if it was on a friendly ground. Regina smiled and thanked her for being so understanding before leaving the restaurant.

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Arriving at her home, she noticed Mal waiting outside her house with a bottle of wine, on one hand, and a box of Chinese on the other. Tilting her head in confusion, Regina exited the car and approached the other woman.

"Mal? What are you doing here?" She asked confused.

"I didn't know how that date of yours would be, so I decided to come over with some wine and Chinese takeout, you know in case it wasn't that good" Mal shrugged.

"That was very thoughtful of you dear. Come in and I'll tell you everything about the date" Regina urged as she opened the front door, letting the other woman enter.

"So how was the date?" Mal asked curiously. She and Regina were sitting in the living room as they were drinking wine from the bottle that Regina had just opened.

"It was really good," Regina admitted. "Ingrid is amazing. We have so much in common, she's funny and smart and she gives the best advice. She has also fostered in the past so she knows how to handle kids" Regina smiled fondly at the memory of the other woman.

"I'm sensing a but," Mal said making Regina sigh.

"While the date was awesome and Ingrid even more amazing, there wasn't any spark. We talked, we laughed and we had a great time but it felt as if everything happened in a friendly way. There was some flirting every now and then but nothing that could lead to something sexual. It was harmless, like the compliments a friend would make." Regina admitted as she poured herself a second glass of wine.

"So, you don't see yourself having another date with her?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure I want to invest in that, to be honest. I mean I would love to have her as a friend but I don't see us two being a couple."

"I see. Well, worry not, this dating app has hundreds of choices so I'll find someone else for you."

"Oh, I don't see myself having another blind date, dear, at least not at the moment," Regina admitted.

"We'll drink to that then" Mal raised her glass making Regina laugh.

They were on their third bottle of wine when Regina decided to speak again. They were sitting in silence for some time now.

"Do you think there's someone else out there for me? Except for Emma" Regina clarified.

"Of course there is honey. From what you've told me, you were in a serious relationship before you meet Emma. There's not only one person destined to be with each one of us for the rest of our lives, Regina. You thought that Emma was your happily ever after; apparently, she's not so that means that you haven't found it yet." Mal reasoned, then added, "It could be someone you'd never thought it would."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked perplexed.

"That this someone may be in front of you. Right now" Mal explained. Regina was lying on the sofa, with her eyes half closed, but this last sentence Mal told made her open them widely.

"Mal?" She asked tentatively.

"I...I like you, Regina." Mal confessed, looking Regina directly in her eyes.

"For how long?" Regina asked, too shocked to even think of anything else.

"I've liked your for quite some time now. But we are friends and I didn't want to complicate things between us or ruin what we have, so I kept my mouth shut because I-" but she was cut off by Regina's lips on her own.

"Regina, what are you doing?" Mal asked after pausing their kiss.

"It didn't make sense with Ingrid because it had already started making sense with you." Regina simply said. "You are incredible with my sons, you had always my back and you were there after everything that had happened with Emma. And I was too blind or too obtuse to see it, but, I like you too Mal" Regina also confessed before kissing Mal again.

"So, what do we do now?" Mal asked again.

"Now?.Now you take me upstairs" It was all that Regina said before Mal lifted in her arms and guided her to Regina's bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some DragonQueen scenes. Nothing NSFW, though.

The next morning Regina woke up being happy yet a little sore. Remembering what had caused these two feelings she smiled to herself. She hasn't felt like that in a long time. Last night has been great for her. Mal turned out to be a very gentle lover who took care of her every need while being patient and understanding at the same time. She had never thought of having a future with Mal since she didn't want to ruin their friendship but now she couldn't keep that thought out of her mind. Mal was a great woman who has always been there when Regina needed her to, especially after she got a divorce from Emma. She was sweet and always made her laugh. And the most important thing; she was amazing with her sons. She loved them all as if they were hers and the boys adored her too. So, she was quite confident that she could work out a relationship with the other woman. She had to try at least. She gave a glance at the beautiful blonde who was sleeping peacefully next to her. Regina gave her a kiss on the forehead before getting up, grabbing her robe from a nearby chair and going to the bathroom to start with her morning routine.

After that, Regina went downstairs to make coffee for her and her blonde friend. She had left her phone in the kitchen and upon opening it she saw that she had two missed calls from Henry. She frowned in confusion. Henry, or any of her sons for that matter, never called her when they were spending time with Emma. With that thought in mind, she called him back. After a few rings, he picked it up.

"Good morning mom!" Henry said way too cheerful for his usual behaviour in the morning.

"Good morning sweety, how are you?" She asked suspiciously. For him being that happy in the morning it meant one thing; he wanted to ask a favour and Emma had probably already said no.

"I'm good, I'm just getting ready for school" Henry informed and he could hear him moving around his bedroom.

"How are your brothers? I'm sorry for not calling last night but I've forgotten my phone in the kitchen." Regina explained her lack of response.

"They are good, they are having breakfast with ma and Jane. Oh, you had a date last night, how did it go?" He asked curiously.

Regina felt a little anger flaring up inside her as she didn't want this woman anywhere near her sons. She was one of the reasons that caused her and Emma getting a divorce and despite the fact that they were in a good place now she couldn't just forgive her. However, she chose to ignore it for Henry's sake and remembering his question, she responded.

"It went really well. She was amazing and we had many things in common. I had a very good time and I'm glad I did this" Regina said honestly.

"So are you seeing her again?" Henry asked and she swore she could hear his grin.

"I think we should talk about that when you come home, sweetheart," Regina said. If Mal and Regina were to involve in a relationship her kids should know.

"Anyway, I was talking with ma.." And here we go, Regina thought. The reason why he had called.

"And?"

"Well, since I'm turning sixteen next month and my licence exams are approaching too, I was wondering if you and ma could lend me some money so I could buy a car," Henry replied.

"And what did your mother say?"

"She said that I can either take yours or her car when you are not using it, which is completely unfair cause you use yourσ them all the time!" he whined.

"Henry, I think that this is the kind of matter that I and your mother should first discuss before deciding what to do," Regina replied sincerely. She didn't want to get his hopes high without having a conversation with Emma first. He would sometimes think that her and Emma's divorce meant for him that only one parent had a say on what he should do or buy without consulting the other. However, since the beginning, both Emma and Regina had explained to all of their sons that being divorced didn't mean that they wouldn't take decisions together, especially when it came to them. They might not be together anymore but they would always be united for their children.

"Fine." He huffed.

"I don't want you to be mad at me Henry, but you know this is a big decision and I need to talk to your mother. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Anyway, I should get ready for school. I'll call you later, love you" He said before hanging up his phone.

"Goodbye baby."

"Well if this wasn't your house, I would think you had left and done the walk of shame" A voice was heard behind her, making Regina span around. Upon doing so, she was met with two beautiful blue eyes looking sheepishly back at her. Regina took a few steps to get closer to the other woman and when she did, she put her arms around Mal's waist and kissed her before speaking;

"I'm sorry dear, but some of us have a job and I couldn't quite stay in bed all day," Regina teased earning a playful slap on her ass.

"Hey, I work too, you know, I would just have preferred staying in bed today and doing...stuff, to facing the world," Mal said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"What kind of stuff?" Regina asked, her eyes going black with lust.

"Last night's kind of stuff" Mal winked, making Regina laugh.

"That would be lovely dear, but Kathryn really needs me at the clinic today. I'll definitely take a raincheck on that though." Regina said, kissing Mal once more.

"We do have a whole weekend to ourselves," Mal said suggestively.

"That we do" Regina replied before taking a step away from the blonde. "But before that, I really think we should talk first."

"You are right." Mal agreed and continued. "I really had a great time last night" she began.

"I think there's a but here" Regina countered.

"There isn't. I want to try something more than just friends, with you, Regina. As I said last night I like you and I wouldn't mind being with you. I don't know if I can leave this thing we had last night to one night only, to be honest. But I really don't want to be some kind of rebound to you. You have been with the same woman for twelve years and I don't know if I can beat that." Mal rambled and Regina had to squeeze her hand lightly so as to stop her.

"Mal, dear you're rambling," she said and smirked when the other woman blushed. She then guided the other woman to the living room where both sat on the couch.

"Last night was incredible and I wouldn't like it either this to be only a drunk, one-night stand. I really like your company and I adore you as a person so I don't think I'd have a problem with us dating. As for the rebound comment; no, you are not. Yes, Emma was and is a very important person in my life. We share so many memories together, good ones and bad ones. We also share three boys and yes you can't change that, but right now Emma is not the person that makes me happy. You are." Regina said

"Wow, aren't you a charmer Miss Mills." Mal teased earning a chuckle from the brunette.

"I simply want to clear the air between us. If I wanted a rebound, someone with whom I'd only have sex would suffice. I want to try more things with you."

"And I you," Mal said and Regina smiled as she kissed the blonde who responded hungrily before breaking the kiss to speak again.

"Will you talk to the boys about us?" She asked.

"I'm planning to do so once they come back from their weekend with Emma. They need to know" Regina replied.

"And how do you think they are going to react?" She asked nervously this time.

"Well, they do love you as if you were their aunt, so now they are going to love you as their mom's girlfriend. I do hope, though, that they will be okay with this. Because you already know that my sons are above anything or anyone else. If they don't agree with this, I don't know what will happen."

"I do understand and I'm okay with this. I love your sons but if they're not okay with us, I'll step back." Mal admitted.

"I'm glad we agree on this. Anyway, I should really get ready for work and as you do, I believe" Regina stood up, dragging Mal along with her.

"Bossy" Mal mumbled, shaking her head, as she followed her brunette girlfriend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After getting ready and dropping Mal on her apartment, Regina drove towards the clinic. Kathryn will probably kill her for being late but she was also sure that she will forgive her in a heartbeat once she hears all the juicy details from last night. She chuckled to herself as she imagined Kathryn's eyes going wide upon hearing Regina's fun night. She would definitely enjoy that.

Parking her car in the designated area, she stepped out of the car and walked towards the entrance. Kathryn had already arrived since Regina spotted her car. Time to leave Kathryn jaw-slacked she thought to herself as she entered the clinic.

"Good morning Jeff" Regina greeted the brunet secretary who was typing on his computer and not really paying attention to what was happening around him. He was very focused on his job and that's why Regina and Kathryn had hired him on the spot.

"Good morning Miss Mills," He said back and he gave her his best smile. This boy was pure gold.

"Is Kathryn in her office?" She asked as she took her lab coat from the hook.

"Yes and she's alone. The day has been pretty slow so far." He admitted.

"Perfect. Also Jeff? Be a dear and bring me a latte on Kat's office." She kissed his cheek before walking towards the blonde's office. After knocking once and Kathryn's muttered come in, Regina opened the door and walked in.

"Good morning shortie!" Kathryn exclaimed way too happy for her liking. At least she wasn't mad at her for being late. But still suspicious.

"Good morning blondie" Regina smiled to her best friend before sitting at one of the chairs, opposite to Kathryn. They were both smiling equally wide and were trying to decipher each other's weird smile. They weren't talking for a few moments but when they did, it happened simultaneously.

"So, I have some news." Both women said and then burst into laughter.

"Well, you are the older one so speak first" Kathryn prompted, earning a death glare from the brunette.

"By only three months. And your smile is creepier so just spill everything out." Regina demanded.

"Okay." Kathryn agreed with her smile going even wider. "I'm pregnant" She squealed making Regina jump from her seat.

"Oh my god Kat, I'm so happy for you," Regina said as she hugged her best friend tightly, a few tears running from her eyes.

"Hey, what are the tears for?" Kathryn asked once she noticed them.

"I'm just so happy. I knew you and Fred were trying but I just couldn't wait to hear these three words from you."

"Thank you, baby," Kathryn said, a few tears forming in her eyes too. "This kid is going to have the best godmother ever," Kathryn said, making Regina tears now run more freely.

"Well, she's going to have the best mother ever, too." She said, making both women laugh. "Thank you for this honour, Kat," Regina said sincerely.

"You are my best friend Regina, of course, my first child would have you as his or her godmother," Kathryn admitted as she wiped Regina's eyes.

"Does Fred know?" Regina asked curiously as she reclaimed her seat. Before she could reply though, the door opened to reveal Jeff with Regina's latte.

"I think congratulations are in order." He grinned, before going towards Kathryn and hugging her.

"First of all, stop eavesdropping and secondly, thank you very much Jeffy" Kathryn smiled at him.

"You're welcome, love. Anyway, I should leave you two alone. Call me if you need anything." He said before leaving the office.

"As I was going to say.." Kathryn continued once Jefferson left the room "Fred doesn't know but I'm planning on telling him tonight." Kathryn admitted.

"He is going to be a great dad" Regina commented.

"I know. I mean he'll be very happy to hear the news, then he'll probably freak out and then he'll go all overprotective on me and later on our child. He's going to be amazing." Kathryn smiled at the thought of her husband playing with their child and being all goofy. "So enough with me, we'll have nine months to talk about it, tell me about you. How did the date go?" Kat asked curiously

"Well, the date was amazing. Her name is Ingrid and as you know she's a photographer. She's very nice and smart and drop-dead gorgeous, like a Greek goddess. I had a very good time with her. We talked, we laughed, we shared some stories and it was good being back in the game with such a good date." Regina said.

"So did you guys say anything about a second date?"

"We didn't because as much as I enjoyed myself with her, there wasn't that spark that would make me see her romantically. I told her so and she didn't mind. We agreed, though, to meet for a coffee or lunch as friends, of course.

"So you liked the date and her but not in a way that could lead to a second one." Kathryn summarised.

"Exactly" Regina nodded.

"I'm still trying to understand what caused this radiant smile on your face. Apparently, it wasn't the date."

"Well, the night didn't end there," Regina said cryptically.

"God, woman get on with it. I'm gonna be in labour by the time you decide to tell me!" Kathryn said exasperatingly making Regina laugh.

"Patience dear." She winked at Kathryn. "But since you're so eager I'll just tell you." to which Kat replied with a muffled "thank god"

"After I returned home, Mal was waiting for me there with a bottle of wine. We drank it along with two more bottles and talked about my date. Then she admitted that she likes me and I kissed her. And well then..." She left the sentence unfinished for the other woman to complete.

"Oh god, you had sex with Mal!" Kathryn squealed with excitement.

"Now all the patients outside and Jeff know!" Regina said jokingly as she rolled her eyes.

"I knew that she had the hots for you. And what happened after that? Did you talk about what last night meant to you?"

"Yes, we did talk and we decided that we both wanted to try for something more if my boys are okay with it of course," Regina admitted.

"I'm so happy for you Regina. You deserve happiness. And Mal is an amazing woman. I'm glad you gave her a chance."

"I'm glad too. She's a wonderful woman. She's funny and smart and she cares for me and my kids and she's gentle. I'm really excited about this." Regina smiled making Kat also smile.

"Well, now that's she's officially your girlfriend I should give her the "if you hurt my bestie" talk" Kathryn joked.

"I'm sure Emma will go after her first. Supposing she'll be okay with this." Regina sighed.

"Will you tell her?"

"Of course I will. I'd rather tell her and have to deal with her puppy dog eyes than her finding it out from the boys and have to deal with her anger." Regina stated.

"She's going to be so hurt," Kathryn commented with a sad tone.

"I know, but she hurt me first." Regina pointed out making Kat sigh this time.

"You are right. Anyway, I think we should work. We have to run a clinic for chrissake" Kathryn cried making Regina laugh.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Regina decided that it was better to just get on with it and kill two birds with one stone. That's why after work she decided to visit Emma. She'd first talk to the blonde about this since she was a bit easier to deal with and then she'd talk to the boys who would have much more questions than her. The plan did sound good in her mind and that's why she proceeded with that.

Arriving at the blonde's apartment Regina felt very nervous. Should she first speak to the boys and then to Emma? Or was it better to talk to everyone? No, that would be very wrong. If the boys were happy about this, Emma would be devastated. If the boys weren't, Emma would still be hurt. Well, at both scenarios Emma would be sad but there was nothing that Regina could do about it. Mal made her feel good and she didn't own Emma anything. They were no longer together and Emma should respect her choices. With that thought in her mind, she knocked the door.

A few moments later the door opened to reveal Ezra and Henry, who had first checked who the guest was, through the eyehole, before letting Ezra open the door.

"Mama!" The boy squealed before hugging Regina's knees.

"Hello baby boy," Regina said before lifting him in her arms and kissing his cheeks with raspberry kisses, making the boy laugh, before letting him on his feet again.

"Hey, mom." Henry greeted her sheepishly before kissing her cheeks too.

"Hello, dear. Is your mother here?I wanted to speak with her." Regina simply said.

"No, we're with Jane and we play video games. You should come inside" The Benjamin of the family informed his mother as he dragged her inside the apartment.

"Ezra, no" Regina hissed, but it was too late because Jane had already noticed her.

"Hello, Regina." The blonde waved tentatively at the brunette.

"Hello," Regina said curtly, not moving from her spot.

"Uhm, Emma had a very important meeting and she'll be late," Jane informed her as she made a few steps closer to the brunette and stood there awkwardly.

"You can wait for her if you want. I'll leave you guys alone." She was ready to leave the room but Regina's voice stopped her.

"No, it's okay, I'll talk to her when she brings the boys home, on Sunday. I also don't want to ruin your game time." Regina said in a jealous tone.

"Regina," Jane sighed when she noticed the jealousy in Regina's voice. "I'm not trying to replace you or Emma. They were alone and Emma asked me to watch them. I didn't know you'll come or else I'll let you take them with you or something." Jane explained.

"First of all dear, let's be clear about one thing. You can't replace me or Emma. Secondly, even if I wanted to take them with me, and believe me I do, the agreement with Emma was that when our kids are with one parent the other won't interfere in their time together. So, you are free to watch them. But if any of them get hurt, I won't blame Emma." She said before waving goodbye to her three sons and leaving the apartment.

She felt a little guilty for talking to Jane like that but she had no right to even think that she could replace her. The boys, though, did seem to have a good time with her, she thought. Shaking all the thoughts from her head she got in her car. She'd face Emma on Sunday. Both to talk about her relationship with Mal and to chide her about leaving Jane in charge of their kids. And with these thoughts, she left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll say this (probably) one last time.   
> 1\. I'm not baiting Swen to read my story. Please, trust me on this.  
> 2\. We are not even halfway there. We have 19 chapters before the story ends. Who knows what will happen? You can't read one chapter and consider it, endgame. A lot of things will happen until the story ends. Yes, some readers may be disappointed but you can't always please everyone.  
> 3\. Anyone who thinks that don't want to wait in order to read each chapter, I would gladly send you the whole thing but it'd be unfair to those who want to read it that way.  
> 4\. Also to some of you that review as guests, please try not to. I want you to understand why I'm writing the way I am and if you comment as anons I can't quite explain. Ask other people that have reviewed my story and to whom I answered their questions. I'm not a bully and I do not attack those who have a different opinion than me. We are all civilized people who can solve our differences without hate.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy the new chapter!

"Regina, pacing back and forth won't help," Mal said for the umpteenth time as she was watching her nervous girlfriend.

It was Sunday evening and Regina was expecting the boys and Emma to come home any minute now. Today, she would tell about her relationship with Mal both to her sons and to Emma. She knew it was kind of early since they have been together for only four days now but she didn't want them to find it out from someone else and if Mal was to spend the night at their house, her sons needed to know why. And that's why she has been nervous the whole weekend. Mal had stayed with her these two days and had managed to distract her from her worries, but now they were moments apart before the boys would learn the truth and Regina was jittering.

"I know but I just can't sit down. I want the boys to accept the new role you'll have in our lives" Regina admitted.

"I know and I want that too, but we can't dictate their feelings. If they feel threatened by me then I guess we'll have to stop seeing each other in that way." Mal shrugged in order to hide her worry. She didn't want to stop being with Regina but if the boys didn't like that new development she would have to step back for their sake.

"They're here," Regina announced as she heard Emma parking outside. Without a second thought, she rushed to the door, to greet her sons.

She opened the door and she was met with three pairs of identical brown eyes all looking tired but equally happy. In the corner of her eye, she saw Emma's car leaving once again. She would speak only to her sons today, it seemed.

"Look at my three rays of sunshine" Regina teased her sons before hugging them one by one. First, it was Henry who gave her as much of a half hug before practically running towards the kitchen. Then, it was Colin who was as cheerful as ever, despite his dishevelling appearance and last but not least her baby boy, who was also holding Simba on his hands. Letting them step inside and helping them with their bags and with the puppy, she led them towards the kitchen where Henry had already started devouring some meat pie that Regina had made last night.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Emma let you starve to death" She joked as she served two plates to her sons.

"Well, Emma was working this morning and she didn't have much time to cook, so Jane cooked for us and let me tell you, mom, she is an amazing cooker!" Henry commented while serving himself a second piece of the pie.

"Ah, I see" Regina simply replied as she tried once again to hide her jealousy.

"Yes," Colin agreed. "But mama managed to make it home after lunch and she drove us to Grandpa's house where she and Nate had organised a scavenger hunt for us!" He exclaimed enthusiastically.

"It was really cool mom!" Henry added.

"Did you like it Bubbah?" Regina asked the younger boy who was just nodding to whatever his brothers were saying.

"Yes! My team won!" He squealed happily.

"Yeah, because he had aunt Elsa on his team!" Colin whined. Even though Nate and Elsa weren't married yet the kids called her aunt. At Regina's confused face Colin explained. "Her family organizes big family scavenger hunts every year and she's really good," he elaborated. "He also had grandpa David on his team and we all know how good he is with riddles." Colin pouted. Her middle son was very competitive, something he got from Emma, and he couldn't quite accept that he had lost from his younger brother.

"Don't worry, Col, I'll let you win next time," Ezra said seriously as he patted his brother's back making both Henry and Regina laugh.

"Who was on your team anyway?" Regina asked curiously.

"Mom and uncle Nate. Henry was with Grandma and Jane. They were a good team too but on my team, mom and uncle were fighting all the time about the answers. I'm not playing with them again" He folded his arms in front of his chest and stared grumpily at Regina.

"Well, you chose them." Henry pointed out, earning a death glare from Regina. Yep, he was her son through and through.

"Aaaanyway.." Henry changed the subject as he wanted to avoid any more of Colin's whining. "You never told me how it went with that other thing on Thursday night," Henry said cryptically as he didn't want to tell anything about the date in front of his brothers.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to all of you about that. When you finish with your snack, come in the living room. Mal is also there. " Regina informed before moving towards the other room. She was, however, quickly followed by Ezra who wanted to see his favourite "aunt". A few minutes after him Henry and Colin also emerged from the kitchen, both holding another bowl full of snacks which they placed in the coffee table before all three of them taking a seat opposite to their mother and Mal.

They were all three of them looking at her expectantly something that made her squirm slightly in her seat. Mal squeezed her hand, which didn't go unnoticed by Henry, who sat straighter in his seat.

"Well?" He prompted after a few minutes of silence.

"Alright," Regina said before exhaling. "You all know Mal and how good of a friend she has been to me the last two years." She started.

"We love you Mal," Colin added and the blonde woman blew him a kiss, making the boy blush.

"Anyway, recently, there has been a new development in mine and Mal's relationship. We realized that we would like to be more than friends." Regina chose her words carefully. She didn't want to upset her sons.

"What, like girlfriends?" Colin asked excitedly.

"Yes, exactly," Regina confirmed before giving them a few moments to proceed this new information.

"As long as you're happy, I'm okay with that," Colin said first before standing up and going to hug his mother and Mal. Regina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Ezra followed a few seconds later and joined the group hug. He wasn't really sure what that meant for them or for his mother and aunt Mal but he was happy and if Colin was okay with this, he was also okay.

"What about you Henry?" Regina asked after noticing that the teenage boy had neither spoke nor moved from his seat.

"I'm going to bed." He mumbled before leaving the room and going upstairs. Regina's heart broke a little. Henry always played a major role in her life and she did want him to be okay with her relationship with Mal. Seeing him reacting like that to the news, pained her more than she'd like to admit.

"He'll come around," Mal whispered to her ear before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah," Regina said absentmindedly before standing up with Ezra in her arms.

"I trust you had studied your homework, so I guess it's time for bed." She announced. The boys were so tired that they didn't even fight Regina to that.

"I'll be back in a few," Regina told Mal before going upstairs to put her sons to bed.

After putting her two younger sons to bed, Regina stopped in front of Henry's door. She could hear noise coming from inside so she pressed her ear to the door in order to listen to who Henry was talking.

"Hey ma, can I please come and stay with you tonight?" Henry asked. At that Regina's heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Henry are you okay?" Regina heard Emma saying. Thank god, Henry had Emma on speaker.

"Yes, I just wanna come and stay with you." He implored.

"Why? Did something happened with your mom?" Emma asked concerned. But before Henry could say anything Regina entered the room, stopping Henry from saying to Emma about her relationship with Mal.

"Why didn't you knock?" Henry said in a slightly raised voice.

"I want to talk to you." She replied in an authoritative tone.

"Well, I don't. Plus I'm talking with mom." He tried to dismiss her but Regina was having none of it. She grabbed Henry's phone from where he had left it. She also noticed that Henry was emptying his overnight bag and was putting fresh clothes in it.

"Emma nothing's going on, don't worry about Henry. I'll call you later." Regina said to Emma before ending the call.

"Hey!" He shouted before snatching his phone from Regina's hands.

"Firstly, do not raise your voice, your brothers are trying to sleep," Regina said calmly. "Secondly, we need to talk. Ignoring your problems or people might have worked with Emma but it won't work with me. So please tell me why is bothering you that much that I and Mal are dating. And don't say otherwise, because I know you Henry Swan-Mills. You are my son."

"But you're not my mother." Henry spat, making Regina's heart shattered once again. Tears formed in her eyes but she didn't let them fall. It was true that Henry had never said something like that to her.

"I know you're doing this because you want to hurt me. But whatever you say to me, it won't make me leave this room until you say what is your problem." Regina said stubbornly. If Henry wanted to act like that, then two could play this game. He sat in his desk chair and waited for him to talk.

"I don't want you and Mal to date." He admitted after a few minutes of silence. Regina was taken aback. She wasn't expecting Henry to be so blunt.

"But you like Mal. She has been good to you and your brothers. She has even helped you with Violet." Regina pointed out.

"She wasn't dating my mother then," Henry grumbled as he plopped on the bed, avoiding to look at Regina.

"Do you feel threatened by her? Do you worry that I might spend more time with her than with you? Because you know Henry that you, Colin and Ezra mean the world to me and that would never happen." Regina explained.

"I know that, but..." He paused a little. "You belong with mom" He whispered.

"Henry, weren't you the one that stopped Colin and Ezra from trying to get me and Emma back together? Yes, I know about that. The boys weren't really discreet about it." Regina shrugged.

"Well, yeah but that's different. I didn't want you guys to get back together because I didn't want ma to hurt you again. That didn't mean that it'd be okay with you dating someone else and hurt her in the process." Henry admitted

"So, you're okay with Emma staying or even possibly being together with Jane but you're not okay with me and Mal?" Regina asked hurt.

"Ma and Jane are just friends. I was also thinking that they might have had something more but I confronted her and she said that she still loves you. And I do believe her." Henry said.

"I see." Regina nodded. "Well, there's nothing I can do about that, Henry. I like Mal and she makes me happy. I hope you can see that and be okay with it." She stated before standing up and moving towards the door. Before she exited though, she said to him.

"Please, don't tell Emma anything about that. I want to be the first to tell her." Regina requested before leaving the room.

Going back to the living room, Mal was still sitting on the couch with a glass of wine on one hand and with the other, she was changing the channels on TV. She liked seeing her girlfriend being so comfortable. She moved next to her before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Mal turned her face so her lips could meet Regina's, before hugging the brunette. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Regina decided to break the silence.

"Henry doesn't want us to be together." She admitted.

"I figured that out." Mal shrugged.

"He doesn't want either me or Emma to date, other women." She explained.

"Give him some time. He'll understand that he's being unreasonable. He can't expect you or Emma to be alone for the rest of your lives. He'll see that this makes you sad so he'll have to back down." Mal reasoned.

"I hope you're right because I can't stand Henry being mad at me," Regina said with tears in her eyes.

"You love him so much," Mal stated more than asked.

"I love all my sons equally and they all hold a special place in my heart but with Henry is different. Even though I wasn't the one to give birth to him, we went through so much together. I was there to babysit him when Emma was standing for her bar exams. I still remember the first time that he called me "mom"." Regina's tears were running now freely.

"Everything we'll work out for you two baby. Henry loves you and he won't want to see you being miserable. He'll come around." Mal kissed Regina's cheek and then added.

"So do you want me to stay with you tonight?" She asked hopefully.

"I want you to stay but I don't want to cause any more friction between me and Henry," Regina explained and Mal nodded.

"That's understandable. I better get going then. I'll see you tomorrow." Mal kissed Regina's lips.

"Goodnight love," Regina said.

"Goodnight Regina." And with that Mal left the Mills' mansion.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

"You're avoiding Regina" Jane stated as she poured herself another glass of wine. She and Emma were sitting in the living room while playing video games.

"Am not." She mumbled without looking at the other woman.

"So why did you not stop to say hello when you dropped off the kids?" Jane challenged.

"Because I didn't want to leave you alone here." Emma lied and Jane rolled her eyes.

"It was not the first time you've left me alone. So tell me, why are you avoiding her?" Jane pressed making Emma sigh

"Because she'll probably be all happy about her date and as a good friend and someone who has been in her life for twelve years, I'd have to ask her how it went and honestly I'm not ready to do that."

"And why are you so sure that the date had gone well?" Jane asked confused.

"That's my luck, Jane. She'll find someone better than me and I'll be all alone." Emma said.

"Well, that's partially true. She may find someone but that doesn't mean that this date was good." Jane reasoned.

"I don't know. I just wish none of this had happened." She confessed.

"I wish that too," Jane said, as she patted Emma's back. "But it happened and we can't do anything about it. But you won't give up fighting for Regina, you hear me? Once you told me about you and Regina being a fairytale and you weren't sure whether it would have a happy ending or not. Well, I'm pretty sure that it will have. You are meant to be together, Emma. You might not see it now but I do. She still loves you but she's just afraid that you'll hurt her again. And that's understandable. If something like that had happened to me, I'll be wary too. But you have to fight for her Emma. Show her what it means to you. You've won her over once, you can do it again." Jane encouraged Emma who smiled at her friend's words.

"You're pretty amazing you know that?"

"Eh, I've heard it once or twice." She shrugged, making Emma chuckle.

"I'm gonna miss you now that you're going back to New York," Emma admitted as she hugged the other blonde.

"I'm gonna miss you too but we're totally gonna keep in touch this time Miss Swan. I'll make sure that it will happen. And if things work for you and Regina, you can visit whenever you want." Jane offered.

"Will do. Now go get some sleep. You have a long day tomorrow."

"Yes, mom." Jane teased before kissing Emma's cheek and leaving the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

It was Monday evening and none of the Mills kids had any extra-curricular activity so Ezra and Colin were playing video games in the living room as they were waiting for dinner to get ready. Regina was in the kitchen along with Mal, so the boys had the whole living room to themselves. Henry who had been to his room since Mal had arrived, after making sure that the boys were alone, he approached them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Henry asked as he plopped himself next to Ezra.

"We're playing PES" Colin informed without looking at Henry, making the older boy roll his eyes. When food or video games were involved none of the Swan-Mills kids could be distracted.

"Cool," He replied as he tickled Ezra's ear.

"Stop, Hen," The boy said, as he swatted his brother's hand away.

"I was wondering maybe we could do something together, as brothers." Henry shrugged.

"We're playing and you're watching." Colin sassed.

"I mean all three of us. I dunno, like you go fetching your guitar and play some music. Or planning an operation." He suggested. At that Colin paused the game and turned to look at his older brother. When they were younger, Henry would plan the best operations. They really enjoyed themselves but after Ezra's birth they had stopped doing it, mostly because Henry was hitting puberty and playing silly games with his brother wasn't cool anymore.

"Elaborate." The younger boy said with such maturity that it could rival Henry's.

"Well, do you remember when you and Bubbah came to me and asked me to help you get ma and mom back together?" At which Colin nodded.

"Now I'm in." He announced.

"But now mom's with Mal." Colin frowned.

"Come on Col, don't you want Emma and mom be together again? Ma will come and stay here with us and we'll all be together." Henry coaxed his brother.

"I don't know Hen. I mean we tried before and we failed. Now that mom's with someone else, it'll be more difficult."

"Last time you didn't have my help." Henry winked at his brother.

"So what are you proposing exactly?" Colin asked, a little bit more excited this time.

"That we three work together to bring them back together. We'll call this Operation Panther." Henry offered.

"Panther?" He asked confused.

"Yes, no one will know what that means." He reasoned.

"I like it and I'm in" Colin announced happily.

"Awesome. What about you Bubbah?"

"I'm in!" The boy squealed even though he had no idea what was going on, he just liked spending time with his brothers.

"What's going on?" Regina asked when he saw her sons being all secretive.

"Nothing, we're just spending some time together," Henry said with a grin.

"Sounds suspicious but okay. Dinner is ready by the way." Regina informed before leaving the room.

"Operation Panther is a go!" The older brunet announced before he and his brothers left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

It was Wednesday evening and Regina with the boys and Mal had just finished eating dinner. Henry was still a bit distant from both Regina and Mal, something that really hurt his brunette mother, as he had never acted like that towards her. Her other two sons, even though they seemed to be okay with Mal staying around and had accepted their relationship, after Monday evening they had started talking about Emma non-stop. They would bring her up to whatever conversation they might have had, even when the topic was completely irrelevant, which really bothered Regina but she decided not to comment on it since she believed that the boys really missed their other mother and by talking about her would feel as if she was there with them. Regarding Emma, Regina still hadn't found an opportunity to talk to her as the blonde wouldn't pick up her phone or return her calls. She had even tried to visit her that morning, at the firm, but conveniently enough it was a court date and she was absent from the office. As for her relationship with Mal, it was still going strong. Mal was really understanding and she wouldn't pressure her at all. They were making baby steps since Regina hadn't been in a serious relationship, except for her marriage, in years and it was still pretty new to her. Regina was very thankful for Mal and how much patience she seemed to have.

As any other Wednesday evening, Regina and the boys were about to watch a movie altogether. It was a tradition it had started a few years back when Emma and Regina were still married, and even though it had stopped around the time they were getting a divorce, Regina started it again as she wanted to give to the boys as much normalcy as she could, despite Emma's absence.

"So, which one should we watch?" Regina asked while searching their DVD collection "And no, I'm not watching Captain America again" She quickly added as she was one hundred percent sure that Ezra would suggest it.

"Let's watch the new Justice League movie" Mal recommended and all the boys looked at her like she was an alien, making her feel uneasy.

"What?" She asked.

"The only D.C movie the boys allow in this house is Wonder Woman and only because I think that all three of them have a crush on Gal Gadot" Regina explained making the boys blush in embarrassment.

"Ah, I see." Mal nodded, hiding her smirk.

"Let's watch Thor," Colin suggested, munching some popcorn that Regina had made.

"What about you Hen? What do you think?" Regina addressed her eldest son. Henry, by the time all five of them sat in the living room, was texting on his phone and ignored everyone else.

"Huh? Yeah, I don't mind" he shrugged. Regina nodded and she was ready to press play when the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" Regina asked confused and she saw Henry getting up from his seat.

"Well since you brought someone to our family night without asking I thought I could do the same," Henry quipped, making Regina's eyes widen.

"Henry David Swan-Mills" She yelled but Henry had already gone to open the door. A few moments later he returned with Emma on his side.

"Emma, what are you doing here?" Regina asked uneased.

"Uhm, Henry text me, saying it was an emergency so I came here as quickly as I could" She replied while rubbing the back of her neck.

"Movie night is an emergency" Henry shrugged and dragged Emma farther into the living room. The younger boys quickly ran to hug and kiss their mother before practically forcing her to sit with them.

"Guys, I shouldn't," Emma said and tried to stand up but the two younger boys sat on her lap so she couldn't leave.

"Come on ma, it's Thor, your favourite superhero," Henry said with a grin before sitting next to Emma.

"Are you okay with this?" Emma asked her ex-wife. She couldn't believe that her own son had ambushed her like that. Not that she minded spending some time with her sons but not like that and not with Mal, who was sitting awfully close next to Regina, being there.

"It's not like I can do something about it." Regina simply said before averting her eyes to look at the TV.

Henry, when he made sure that no-one was watching, fist bumped Colin as they grinned at each other. They would make their mothers fall in love again if it was the last thing they did.

During the movie, Regina was frustrated, She couldn't cuddle Mal or hold her hand because Emma was there. Of course, Henry would arrange something like that, she thought. Since the day she told them about Mal, Henry had been negative and distant and would only talk to his brothers. On the other hand, though, she was glad that Emma was there because after the movie ended, she would talk to her about Mal. So, she thanked Henry for this.

Emma, on the other hand, was really nervous. She didn't like what Henry did and she was feeling unwelcomed. Not by her sons of course, but by her ex-wife and her blonde friend. Seeing them so close, made Emma feel uneasy but she tried to dismiss her thoughts and instead tried to focus on the movie and on her three boys who were all cuddling with her. Ezra was sitting on her lap, his head on her chest, her left hand was wrapped around Colin while she was leaning on Henry. Regina was looking fondly at them. She didn't want this movie to end.

Despite Emma's wish that this movie would last forever, the movie ended after a couple of hours. Ezra had fallen asleep in her arms and Colin's eyes were a bit droopy.

"I think it's bedtime gentlemen." She stated as she stood up with Ezra in her arms.

"Why don't you put us to bed?" Colin asked with his big puppy dog eyes.

"Kiddo, I should really go." Emma tried but Colin waved it off.

"Mama, please" He implored and Emma turned to Regina for help.

"You heard Prince Colin." She joked and Emma balanced Ezra in one hand while with the other also lift Colin.

"Emma, you don't have to lift them both," Regina said concerned.

"It's okay, Gina I got this," Emma reassured before leaving the room and going upstairs.

Once Emma was out of earshot, Regina turned her attention to Henry who was pretending to read something on his phone.

"Explain" She demanded.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about. Why did you bring Emma here?" She questioned.

"Because we haven't done this in a while," Henry replied as if it was obvious.

"Henry a few months ago, you didn't even want me and Emma to be in the same building let alone have a movie night together. Are you doing this because of me and my relationship with Mal?" She asked softly.

"I changed my mind mom, that's all. Ma's really trying to prove that she regretted what she did and that she wants us all to be a family again. I punished her enough and now I think it's time I forgave her." He admitted.

"Αnd what about Colin and Ezra talking all the time about Emma?"

"They miss her, I guess. You know, a weekend with ma is not enough." He pointed out, making Regina feel guilty.

"Tell you what, I'll talk to Emma and if she agrees, you can spend the Christmas' holidays with her, what do you think?" Regina offered.

"I have a better proposal" Henry suggested. "What about spending a few days all together as a family? And before you say no, hear me out; we could go to Graham's chalet in Aspen with all the Mills and the Swans. We haven't done this in years."

"Henry, me and your mother got a divorce for a reason. And that reason wasn't so we could spend more time together." Regina reasoned.

"Could you at least consider it?" Henry implored. "Colin and Ezra will love it, you know how much they like being the centre of attention. If you don't want to do that for me, at least do it for them." Henry said before kissing his mother cheek.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight mom." Henry said before leaving the room. Mal, who was there the whole time and she was acting like she didn't hear a thing, moved from her seat and sat next to her girlfriend.

"They all have their way with words, don't they?" She teased, as she kissed Regina's lips softly.

"Well, it's the Swan genes, no-one can resist them." Regina joked before getting serious again. "I don't know what to do Mal. On one hand, I had planned a quiet Christmas evening with you here, you know, since the boys would be with Emma. But if Henry put this idea in their heads, which he will, I won't be able to say no to them." She sighed as she let the other woman hug her.

"Remember what we said at the beginning of our relationship? Your sons come first. If spending some days all together makes them happy then that's what you should do. And don't worry about us. One of these weekends we'll plan a trip to my cabin, this time just the two of us." Mal said as she kissed Regina who kissed her back. Their little make-out session though was interrupted by something dropping. Regina turned around quickly, only to face Emma looking at them shocked, her car keys on the floor.

"Emma I can explain." Regina stood up and tried to approach the blonde who took a few steps back.

"I...I should go." Emma stammered before rushing to the front door. Regina gave an apologetic look to Mal, before running behind the blonde.

"Emma wait!" Regina shouted to the blonde who was already in front of her car.

"Regina, I'm really tired." Emma lied to avoid Regina.

"I didn't want you to find about this in that way. I was trying to tell you but every time I'd call you, you wouldn't pick up your phone." Regina explained.

"It's okay Regina. You shouldn't worry about me. You're a single woman, you don't need my approval. You can date whoever you want." Emma said in a cracked voice.

"I didn't want your approval, I just wanted you to know. I know you don't like Mal."

"It doesn't matter who I like, Regina. You're entitled to move on. Does she make you happy at least?" Emma asked. She didn't really want to hear the answer.

"She does." Regina smiled sadly.

"Then I'm okay with that." Emma smiled back a pained smile.

"Goodnight Regina." She said before getting quickly into her car and driving away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Emma, after leaving Regina's house, was beyond heartbroken. She was feeling an intense pain in her chest and tears were running down her face. She couldn't believe that Regina moved on with no other than Mal. She was supposed to fight along with Emma, for their relationship. But who was she kidding? Regina didn't make a simple effort to fix them. She only tried for the boys. She didn't love her anymore. That realization hit her hard. Regina wasn't in love with her. Regina was having feelings for another woman. She had lost the brunette forever. With these thoughts in mind, Emma drove to the nearest bar. She wasn't really in the mood for going back home so she tried to drown her sorrows with a couple of drinks.

Entering the bar she tried for the most isolated seat she could find. Doing so and making herself comfortable she quickly ordered a whiskey. She wasn't that kind of person who drinks much. In fact, she'd rarely drink. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Chuckling to herself she chugged down the drink as she ordered for another. Tonight she'd drink until she'd forget.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

It was well past one in the morning and Emma was drunk. The bartender had tried to stop her from drinking once her speech had become a little slurred but Emma gave him a death glare that could incinerate him on the spot. Gulping audibly he left Emma alone for the time being. However, when it was time for the bar to close, he didn't have another choice but to stop serving the blonde. Thankfully she didn't notice as she had passed out on the bar, her hair spread out on the hard surface. Checking the blonde, he noticed that she had left her phone by her side. Unlocking it, he called the first number he found in her contacts. After a few ringings, the owner of the number answered.

"Miss Swan are you okay? Why are you calling at this time?" Ariel's sleepy voice was heard.

"Uhm, it's not Miss Swan. I'm Peter, the blonde lady drank her ass off and passed out on my bar. I didn't know what to do so I called the first contact in her phone. May ask who are you to Miss Swan?" Peter asked.

"I'm her secretary. Is she okay?" Ariel asked worriedly.

"Yes, she's just passed out," Peter informed.

"Okay, I'm going to call her brother to come and pick her up," Ariel said.

"Sure. Wait, tell me how he looks like. I don't wanna hand her to the wrong guy." He chuckled awkwardly. That's why he didn't like drunk costumers.

"When you see him you'll know that he's her brother," She told.

"Ah, okay. I won't be waiting for long though. Tell the guy to come quickly." He warned before hanging up the phone.

Thankfully for Peter, it didn't take long for the man to show up. And the secretary was right; You could tell from a mile away that these two were siblings. Nate ran towards him with a worried expression on his face.

"Hi, I'm Nate Swan, the blonde's brother. I'm sorry if she caused any trouble." He apologized on behalf of his sister.

"Don't worry, she was a quiet one. She just drank and then fell asleep." He reassured.

"Thank god!" He breathed. "Anyway, how much do we owe you?"

"She paid with her credit card." He replied before passing to Nate Emma's card and phone.

"Thank you for not abandoning her outside, like that," Nate thanked him.

"Your sister doesn't look like the kind of person who drinks and passes out every day. She's nothing like the other costumers that come here, so I knew I had to help her."

"She doesn't drink. Thank you again." Nate said, before lifting Emma bridal side and leaving the bar. She couldn't wait to hear what led Emma to drink that much. Not knowing how to handle Emma he drove to the only people that could help right now. Their parents.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Twenty minutes later Nate, with Emma in his arms, was outside their parents' house. Trying to find his keys, he remembered that he didn't have them with him, so he cursed. Sighing, he knocked the door twice. Surprisingly it didn't take long, as a few minutes later, David, with sleep still in his eyes, opened the door.

"Nate?" He asked confused and then added; "What happened? when he noticed Emma. He also helped Nate by taking Emma in his arms and guiding them to the living room, where he laid the blonde on the couch.

"She drank." He simply said.

"How much?"

"Enough to end up like that so my guess is that it was a lot." He shrugged as he sat next to Emma's lying body.

"Do you know why she drank so much?" He asked again.

"Nope, I just went to the bar to get her, after Ariel called me. Apparently, the owner of the bar called her first."

"She doesn't drink." He said concerned.

"I know. For Emma to drink that much, something really bad must have happened." Nate assumed.

"What's going on?" Mary Margaret's sleepy voice was heard as he approached the three Swans. Noticing her daughter though, she went into a full panic mode. "Oh my god, what happened to Emma?" She screeched as she crouched down behind the blonde woman. Nate explained once again what happened.

"We should wake her up." His mother suggested once he had finished telling the story.

"I'm not sure, MM" David sighed.

"Well, we need to know what happened. My daughter never drinks that much." She said before whispering her daughter's name softly in order to wake her up. Indeed, after a few minutes, Emma's eyes opened slowly.

"Mom?" She asked a bit disoriented. "Where am I?"

"You're home, sweetheart, Nate brought you here from the bar," MM explained.

"Oh my god, my head hurts." Emma groaned.

"I'm sure it does, but what happened to make you drink like that?" David asked softly. However, he didn't imagine that such a simple question would make his daughter cry uncontrollably.

"Emma, what happened? Mary Margaret asked concerned.

"Regina moved on. She's dating Mal." Emma managed to say between sobs.

"Oh Emma, I'm so sorry." Mary Margaret hugged her daughter tightly. Emma cried in her mother's arms for almost twenty minutes before pulling back.

"I wanna throw up" She suddenly said before running towards the bathroom.

Once she was back, she looked at her family, who was looking back at her with worried expressions.

"I'm going home." She announced.

"Like hell, you're going," David stated. "Emma you're not in a position to drive let alone take care of yourself. You're staying here." He added firmly and Emma didn't try to argue with her dad. She was too heartbroken to do so, so she let her mother guide her to her old bedroom. After helping her out of her clothes and into some pj's Mary Margaret put her to bed.

"Mom," Emma croaked while the other woman was tucking her.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Mary Margaret asked.

"It hurts." She admitted.

"I know baby, I know." She kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Please stay with me," Emma begged.

"Of course, baby," Her mother said, before laying next to her daughter, who quickly put her head, on Mary Margaret's neck, letting the other woman play with her hair.

"Sleep tight sweety," she said. It was going to be a difficult night.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Henry woke up earlier than he used to, not that he managed to get much sleep. His mind was occupied with thoughts about how he could bring Emma and Regina together. As the oldest brother, he was the one with the ideas and Colin with Ezra would be the ones to execute them. They did make a pretty good team. However, he believed that they should step up their game. The Christmas trip in Aspen sounded like an amazing idea. First of all, Regina wouldn't bring Mal with them so she and Emma would have more time to spend together. Also, if he told his plan to his brothers they would make sure to convince Regina to arrange this trip. They could do this. Yes, in the beginning, he might have been opposed to the idea of his mothers being back together, but now Emma has changed and she wanted to spend more time with her family. Henry had missed being with both of his mothers. Last night was like one of these old days when they would all sit in the living room and watch movies together. He wanted that again. Rubbing his eyes and smoothing his unruly hair, he got up and started with his morning routine.

After finishing getting ready for school, Henry walked down the stairs and moved towards the kitchen where Regina was making breakfast. However, before he could enter the room, he heard his mother talking to Kathryn.

"So, I told Emma about me and Mal" Regina revealed.

"And? How did she react?" Kathryn asked, sipping coffee from her cup.

"She took the news surprisingly well. To be honest, I was expecting her to throw some fit, but she was really calm, to the point I felt bad."

"Why?"

"Because Emma was trying to fix us. And when I told her that, I saw the pain on her face. I'd rather she had yelled at me." Regina sighed.

"Well, Emma seems to have changed." Kathryn pointed out.

"Yes, it does seem like that," Regina said with a sad smile. "Mal said that she's finally becoming an adult." Regina chuckled. However, this comment made Henry's insides twist in anger. How could she talk about Emma like that? She knew nothing about her. Henry wanted to accept Mal and Regina's relationship but after that, he didn't know if he could. Walking away from the kitchen's door, Henry went to the study to call Emma. She must have been feeling awful after Regina told her the news. Sighing, he called his mother. Though it wasn't Emma who answered the phone, but his uncle Nate.

"Good morning Hen." Nate's muffled voice was heard.

"Uncle Nate? Why do you have ma's phone?" He asked confused, as he took a seat on the couch.

"Your mom's sleeping right now." He shrugged.

"Are you in her apartment?"

"Nope, she drank a bit too much last night so I drove her to our parents' house," Nate explained.

"Is she okay?" Henry asked concerned. For Emma to drink, it meant that she was really heartbroken. Henry felt really bad.

"She'll be kiddo, don't worry," Nate reassured.

"I'm coming to see her," Henry announced suddenly.

"Henry no. I can't let you miss school." Nate reasoned.

"Come on Nate, I'll only miss the first period. Plus, you don't have to tell my mom." Henry implored and Nate sighed.

"You're really jeopardizing my relationship with Regina big guy, but okay I won't tell her. Only first period though okay?"

"Yes, thanks Nate" Henry grinned before hanging up. Putting his phone back in his pocket he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning mom, good morning Kathryn." He greeted before grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl.

"What are you doing? Won't you eat breakfast?" Regina asked once he saw her son dismissing the pancakes.

"Nah, I'm going to school a bit earlier." Henry lied. "Anyway, I gotta go, bye mom, bye Kat," Henry said as he kissed his mother's cheek before fleeing the house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Half an hour later, Henry was in front of the Swan's house. He wished David had already gone to the firm because he would certainly make him go to school and even worse call Regina. Knocking the door nervously, he waited for a few seconds. Thankfully the door was opened by his grandmother.

"Oh, Henry. I wasn't expecting you." Mary Margaret said with a frown.

"Good morning grandma. Yeah, I just came to see ma. I heard she had a rough night." Henry explained as Mary Margaret let him in.

"Ah, I see. Well, she's upstairs, she just woke up." MM informed him to which Henry nodded.

"Does your mother know that you're here?" she asked.

"Which one?" He said teasingly making his grandmother roll her eyes.

"Both" She replied.

"Nope and you better not tell Regina because she'll kill us both if she finds out that you let me in," Henry said, winking at his grandmother.

"You, Swans are all the same." She shook her head. "Now go upstairs, see your mother and then I'm driving you to school" Mary Margaret stated making Henry give her an army salute.

"Yes, ma'am" He joked before running upstairs to his mother's bedroom.

Knocking the door and after Emma giving him permission to come in, Henry entered the room.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked.

"Good morning to you too mother." Henry teased as he plopped on the bed, next to his blonde mother.

"No, seriously why aren't you at school?" Emma asked again, this time sitting up straighter to face Henry.

"Nate told me about last night so I came here to see you." Henry shrugged.

"Traitor," Emma mumbled making Henry chuckle.

"You know, I'd find out one way or another."

"I know" She sighed "And thanks for coming, but you skipping school is neither something I like nor I want you to repeat again. Also, I'm pretty sure your mother doesn't know that you're here." Emma speculated.

"Relax, grandma is driving me to school later. And yes, Regina doesn't know." Henry confirmed.

"Okay, for you to call her by her first name, she must have done something really bad." Emma pointed out.

"Yeah, she's dating Mal." Henry spat.

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there. If you came here to whine about Mal, I can't let you do that buddy."

"Why?" Henry asked confused with a bit hurt in his voice.

"Because it's not right Henry. It's your mother's choice and we all have to accept it." Emma said firmly.

"But I don't want to," Henry whined and Emma chuckled. She couldn't believe that her sixteen-year-old son was pouting.

"Henry, your mother is happy. Yes, I admit that I don't like Mal, but if she's making Regina smile, that's all I ask. You should be mature about this and be happy for your mother."

"Are you happy with this?" Henry whispered.

"I will be. All I want is for you and your mother to be okay. I don't care who will make you happy. As long as you are, I'm okay with that." Emma said, hugging Henry.

"I'm not, I want us to be family again," Henry confessed.

"We are a family Henry, no-one will take that away from us. The fact that I and your mother aren't together anymore doesn't mean that we won't be there for you and your brothers whenever you need us. Couples grow apart sometimes but that didn't affect our relationship with you, did it?" Emma asked.

"Well no, as you said we can see you whenever we want. But you're not home with us. You're not there when one of the boys is sick or when Ezra has nightmares. You're not there to cheer mom up when she's feeling down. And you're not there when we're having family nights." Henry cried, tears running down his face.

"Henry," Emma said in a cracked voice. "I made a mistake and I'm paying the price for it. I'm sorry that I did this to you and your mother. But I'll always be there for you." She hugged him tightly. It was that moment that the door opened to reveal Regina looking at them with tears in her eyes. Apparently, she had listened to everything Henry had said.

"Mom?" Henry asked once he noticed her.

"They called from school to inform me that you didn't show up. I called Emma's cell and your grandmother told me what happened." Regina explained, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry mom" Henry apologized as he was sure that Regina would chide him. However, Regina didn't say anything.

"It's okay Henry. Now come on, I'll drive you to school." Regina croaked and Henry got up from the bed. "Go and I'll catch up with you in a minute," Regina said and Henry nodded as he left the two women alone.

"How long have you been out there?" Emma asked, trying to act normal.

"Long enough to hear what Henry had to say," Regina replied and Emma nodded.

"I didn't know he was feeling like that" Emma admitted.

"Neither did I" Regina confessed.

"I'll talk to him," Emma reassured.

"It's okay Emma, you did enough. I'll have to talk to him too, both about his feelings and about what he did today."

"Great. Uhm, so, you better go, we don't want Henry to miss another period." Emma smiled at her ex-wife.

"Yes. But before I go; Your mother told me about what happened yesterday. And, I'm sorry. Had I known you'd react like that I wouldn't have told you." Regina apologized.

"I'm a big girl Regina, don't worry about me."

"Okay, then." Regina was ready to leave before stopping mid-way to face Emma. "Would you like to come for dinner tonight?" Regina proposed.

"I shouldn't" Emma tried to refuse but Regina waved it off.

"Nonsense. The boys miss you, so it's the least I can do. Seven sharp at the mansion. I'll be waiting for you." Regina winked before leaving.

"This woman is gonna be the death of me" Emma sighed before letting herself fall back to the mattress.

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After dropping Henry to school, Regina went to the clinic. She was still emotional from what Henry had said to Emma. All these months that followed the divorce, Henry seemed to be pretty okay with this change. Yes, it was true that during the first months, Henry and Emma's relationship was still a bit strained so he didn't complain about missing her. Then, he had started warming up to her again, but still, he was never vocal about how he felt. Ezra and Colin would always make a fuss when they were missing Emma, so she knew that her younger boys struggled with this change. So, hearing Henry talk so honestly about his feelings made Regina's heart aches. Things between her and Mal were okay, not that they were dating that long. But she was happy, Mal was making her happy. She didn't know how to balance things between her needs and her sons' needs. She sighed in frustration. She must find a way, for her sons' sake. That's why she invited Emma to dinner. She wanted to show them, that they were a family, despite the divorce.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. With a soft "come in" she gave permission to whoever was outside, to enter her office. She was surprised when she saw her girlfriend entering the room.

"Mal!" Regina said in a surprised tone. "I wasn't expecting you." She continued as she stood up to kiss the blonde woman.

"Well, that's why they call it a surprise." Mal teased, as she was holding Regina in her arms, earning a slap on her bicep.

"You're lucky I like you, otherwise with that humour dear, you wouldn't have stood a chance" Regina joked, before guiding the other woman to one of the chairs.

"I'll admit, humour is not one of my strong suits. Anyway, I came by to ask you if you and the boys would like to come to my house and have dinner together." Mal suggested and then added, "Lily is coming for the weekend, so I thought it'd be a good idea for all of us to get together." Mal smiled and Regina hated that she had to decline.

"Baby, I'd love to but I already invited Emma for dinner," Regina admitted.

"Oh, it's okay. I guess Emma would meet my daughter at some point." Mal shrugged and Regina swore that she was making it difficult on purpose.

"It'll be a family dinner." She tried again, avoiding to meet Mal's eyes.

"So, that means I'm not invited," Mal concluded, trying to hide the disappointment.

"I'm so sorry dear, but today I heard Henry talking about how he's really feeling about the situation," Regina confessed.

"You mean us?" Mal asked.

"Us, the divorce, Emma not living with us. They were a lot. And hearing him talking so open about these, it made me feel like an awful mom, Mal." Regina said tearfully.

"Hey, it's okay I understand. You have to give to the boys as much normalcy as you can. I must admit I'm a little jealous that Emma's gonna be there with you, having a good time, remembering the past and stuff but it's for the boys' sake."

"You're amazing" Regina kissed her girlfriend. "And you don't have to worry about Emma."

"Oh but I do, Regina," Mal revealed. "I'm so jealous of her," she added.

"Why is that?" Regina asked confused.

"Because, you and her share so many things, from three boys to twelve years together. And she had managed to win you over once, she can do it again." Mal pointed out.

"She can, but I don't want her too. I like you Mal. Not Emma, not anyone else." Regina intoned earning a smile from Mal.

"Anyway, I should go," Mal said as she kissed Regina. "We'll talk later."

"Okay, goodbye dear."

"Goodbye, baby" And with that Mal left the office.

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Ιt was half past six and Regina was preparing her sons and Emma's favourite dishes; lasagna and her famous apple turnovers. It was a family dinner and the traditional Swan-Mills dinners always consist of these two meals. She smiled to herself because the boys would be very happy once they saw Emma. She hadn't told them anything yet, partly because she wanted this to be a surprise and because if Emma couldn't make it, the boys wouldn't be disappointed. Making sure that she had a few more minutes before removing the food from the stove, she joined her sons to the living room. Colin was playing video games, while Henry and Bubbah were playing the piano. Every time she'd see them being all together, only one thought would cross her mind; She'd do anything for them. They were her rocks, the reason she had tried to get over the divorce as soon as possible, so she could be strong for them. She was dreading every time she remembered that in two years Henry would be off to college. She had to find a time spell so she could keep them young forever, she thought jokingly to herself before sitting next to Colin and grabbing the second control.

"If Colin loses, all three of you will set the table and do the dishes after dinner. If he wins, each of you can ask for one favour." Regina announced, getting their attention immediately. Henry and Ezra quickly came to join them.

"Cocky much?" Henry teased making Regina chuckle.

"I'm in a generous mood, don't make me take it back," Regina warned jokingly before pressing play.

The house quickly filled with noise as Henry was encouraging Colin and Ezra, Regina.

"Ezra, what are you doing?" Henry asked him when he noticed that his younger brother was rooting for his mother.

"I'm seven, I can get away with everything" he shrugged making Regina grin at Henry.

After ten more minutes, the game finished with Regina's victory. Henry was glaring at Colin for losing and Ezra was high fiving Regina.

"So, if you please, go set the table," Regina told them before leaving the living room.

"What about me?" Ezra asked with his puppy dog eyes mode on.

"You're coming with me in the kitchen." She replied and before following his mother, he stuck his tongue out to his brothers as he ran towards the kitchen.

"We have created a monster," Colin said grumpily and Henry chuckled.

"Come on, bro, we'll get back on mom later." He winked and went towards the diving room. Colin after a few more minutes got up to help him but he was stopped in his trucks by the doorbell.

"Colin, open the door!" Regina requested from the kitchen and Colin did as he was told. Opening the door and seeing who was waiting, his face lit up immediately.

"Mama!" He squealed before jumping on Emma, who caught him easily.

"Hey, there champ!." Emma hugged her son tightly before letting him on his feet again. Letting her enter the house, he guided them towards the living room.

"Mom!" He yelled with a big smile on his face. "Mama is here"

"I know" Regina beamed, exiting the kitchen. "I invited her for dinner" Regina admitted and all the boys after hugging Emma hugged their other mother.

"I hope you liked my little surprise" She winked. "And Emma, make yourself at home. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." At that, all three boys dragged her further into the living room.

"I'm so happy you're here mama," Ezra said as she hugged his mother tightly.

"I'm too, baby boy. Anyway, how was your day?" She asked them and then quickly added: "And before all three of you start talking simultaneously, Bubbah you go first."

So the boy started talking about his day. How he liked a girl in his school and that he helped her tie her shoelaces today and also about maths and his new English teacher. He was pretty fast so Colin had a few minutes before dinner to talk about his day too. However, Regina's voice stopped him midway and the four Swans went to the dining room for dinner.

"It smells delicious, Regina" Emma commented before sitting in her usual spot, the head of the table.

"Thank you, dear" Regina replied as she sat next to Emma. When all the family members took their seats, Regina served them and they started eating in silence. However, this silence didn't last long as the boys started talking with Emma about the new Marvel movies they wanted to see or to persuade her to buy them a new video game, they so desperately wanted. Regina was watching them silently and was feeling her heart warming. She had missed these family dinners. She had missed Emma being all nerdy with their sons and talking with them about everything and nothing in particular.

"Regina, are you okay?" Emma asked concerned.

"Yes dear, I just realized how much I have missed this." She admitted making Emma smile.

"Me too." She said before squeezing her ex-wife's hand and then continuing her talk with her sons.

After dinner and despite Regina's insisting on Emma not helping with the dishes, as the boys had lost a bet, Emma did help them. She said that in that way she had the opportunity to spend more time with them, so Regina relented on that. Finishing with that chore, Emma once again, helped the younger boys with their homework and put them to bed around 9 o'clock.

Coming down the stairs she found Henry playing on his phone and Regina drinking a glass of wine.

"They are both tucked in bed," Emma informed before grabbing her jacket and ruffling Henry's unruly hair.

"Don't you wanna stay for a drink?" Regina offered politely.

"Nah, I have court tomorrow and I have to wake up really early, but thanks anyway." Emma declined equally politely.

After saying goodnight to Henry, Regina guided Emma to the front door.

"So thanks for tonight," Emma said as Regina opened the door.

"It was good seeing them be that happy." Regina smiled "And we'll totally do it again." she added.

"I'm looking forward to." Emma gave her a megawatt smile. "Anyway, I should get going. Goodnight Gina."

"Goodnight, Miss Swan." And with that Regina closed the front door.


	9. Chapter 9

One and a half month had passed and only a few days have left before Thanksgiving. Emma and the boys would spend the holiday with the rest of the Swan family as Regina had promised to Emma. The brunette, on the other hand, had made plans with the Mills family to have a nice dinner all together, to which Regina would introduce Mal as her girlfriend to her parents and siblings. At least, that's what they have planned before Emma decided to visit her parents, a few days before Thanksgiving.

"Hey mom" Emma greeted her mother, as she entered the Swan household.

"Hello, sweetheart, I wasn't expecting you for at least another hour." Mary Margaret said as she guided her daughter towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, well, it was court day and I finished earlier. I waited for Nate so we could drive here together but he had made plans with Elsa." Emma informed as she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl.

"Lunch will be ready in a few, don't spoil your appetite" her mother chided, making Emma drop the fruit back in its place.

"Anyway," Emma began. "How many people are we expecting here for Thanksgiving?" she asked. She had promised to help her father and brother with the grocery shopping so she wanted to know what to buy and for how many people.

"Well, you and the boys, Nate with Elsa and her sister and the Mills family." She replied.

"Scratch the Mills off your list, they'll spend Thanksgiving alone this year," Emma informed.

"Nonsense." Mary Margaret waved it off. " Tell Regina that they're all invited here and that I won't take no for an answer." She said in a serious tone so Emma didn't try to argue.

"So with them added, we are expecting for dinner thirteen guests. That's a lot of cooking." Mary Margaret chuckled.

"Add two more people," Emma said and at her mother's confused face she continued. "We have to invite Mal and her daughter." Emma reasoned and Mary Margaret nodded in understanding. Emma had told them about Regina's new relationship and even though they'd prefer she and their daughter were still together, they couldn't but be happy about the brunette. Over the years, Regina had become a second daughter to them, so if she was happy they were happy too. She couldn't help, though but ask.

"Are you going to be okay with that?"

"I believe yes. I mean, it's been a month since she'd told me and even though it still hurts to see them together, I'm a little better." Emma smiled at her mother. "It's just a dinner anyway, one with so many guests. I won't spend the whole day sulking. My sons want me to be happy, so I'll be. For them."

"I can't believe I'm saying the but the divorce did you good." Mary Margaret commented.

"How come?" Emma asked with a frown

"It seems that after the divorce you've grown as a person. You care about your sons and you handled the whole thing with Regina surprisingly well. I'm proud of you."

"I always cared about my sons." Emma pointed out. "But thanks anyway" She grinned.

"You know what I mean. You did care about them, but you showed it in a weird way, by buying them gifts to assuage your guilt. Now, you're trying to spend more time with them, you know when to say no and the boys had stopped seeing you as their friend. They started seeing you as their mother." Mary Margaret explained.

"I want them to be happy. It took me some time to realize this, but they mean the world to me and I would literally do anything for them." Emma said honestly.

"I know baby." Mary Margaret kissed her cheek. "Anyway, eat your lunch and then you should inform Regina about our plans. If she says no, let me deal with that."

"Yes, ma'am," Emma said teasingly before grabbing a plate and started eating.

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After having a lunch with her mother and brother, who came home a little after they had starting eating, Emma left the Swan house with one destination in mind; Regina's clinic. She was a bit nervous, as she hadn't seen her wife for a few days now and she didn't know if Regina would be alone there or Mal would be with her. It was still hard to watch these two together and Emma, every time she bumped into them she was feeling like her heart was cracking a bit. This new relationship that Regina was in, would always remind her what she'd lost or what she hadn't fought hard enough for. She was feeling like she was a failure as a partner and lover. With these thoughts in mind, she arrived in the clinic. Parking her car at one of the empty spaces, she got out and smoothed her slacks. Walking towards the front door, she opened it. Thankfully, there weren't any patients there, which meant that Regina would be probably having her lunch.

"Good afternoon, Jefferson." Emma greeted the brunet secretary.

"Oh, Miss Swan, long time no see! How are you?" He asked with his usual charm.

"Eh, you know, new cases at work, three boys to handle but same old same old. How's your daughter?"

"She's in that 'I-hate-you-dad' phase but otherwise good. What can you say? Teenagers." He sighed.

"Oh, I know trust me. Anyway, is Regina busy?" She asked.

"Nope, she's having lunch with Kat, in her office. You can go there if you want." Jefferson informed.

"Thank you, Jeff!" Emma said as she walked towards the brunette's office. Knocking once, she waited until Regina gave her permission to enter.

"Emma! I wasn't expecting you!" Regina said with a frown, trying to remember if she had arranged a meeting with her ex-wife.

"You weren't" Emma confirmed. "I just dropped by to talk to you about Thanksgiving. Hey Kat." Emma explained before greeting the other blonde.

"Hello, Swan." Kat greeted back as she stood up. "I'll be in my office if you need me anything." She told Regina before leaving the former wives alone.

"So, what was that you wanted to tell me, that you couldn't over the phone?" She asked curiously.

"My mom invited your family over for dinner on Thanksgiving," Emma admitted as she sat at one of the chairs opposite to Regina.

"Didn't you tell her, that we had already made plans?"

"I did, but she insisted. And you know my mother; If she's set on something, you can't really change her mind." Emma admitted.

"You can't, but I do." Regina deadpanned, making Emma roll her eyes.

"Fine, you can try, but you know that in the end, she'll convince you. And don't worry Mal and her daughter are also invited." Emma added.

"Good." Regina nodded. "Well, I'll talk with my mother and I'll get back to you once I know."

"Yeah, don't worry, we have time. Oh and are the boys staying with me as we agreed?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Yes, dear. They're staying with you but we could plan a family night on Saturday?" Regina offered, making Emma smile.

"Yes, we could totally do that." Emma agreed. "So, I should go. I have to help dad and Nate with shopping. See you later Gina." Emma waved before leaving the office.

"Goodbye Miss Swan," Regina said as she got back to her job.

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These few days passed quickly and Thanksgiving's Day has arrived. Since early that morning, Emma was at her parents' house, helping her mother to prepare dinner along with Elsa, as Nate and David were watching football on T.V. Anna, Elsa's sister, was also in the kitchen, talking with Mary Margaret.

"So, Anna, do you like the States?" Mary Margaret asked as she stirred some vegetables.

"I love the States! I've only been here for a week, but I'm definitely thinking of moving here once I finish my studies, back in Norway." Anna said enthusiastically. Emma couldn't tell if Anna was excited because of her trip there or if she was always that happy. She was too much of a cheerful person, to Emma's liking, but so far the cute brunette hadn't been annoying so Emma gave her the benefit of the doubt.

"Have you been to New York City?" Emma asked. She hasn't been doing much of helping, so her task was to keep Anna company. She kind of failed on that too, since her mother was the one to ask questions.

"Yes!" The girl squealed, piercing Emma's eardrums. "I stayed there for a couple of days, I did as much sightseeing as I could do and then I came here with Elsa. Boston is also a lovely city, but I'd wish I stayed there longer." Anna sighed dreamily.

"Well, it's true, nothing compares to the Big Apple." Emma agreed. Before Anna could continue with her adventures in New York the doorbell rang.

"That must be the Mills family." Mary Margaret assumed and Emma stood up to open the front door.

As Mary Margaret had predicted, once Emma opened the door, she came face to face with her ex-wife, her three sons, Mal and Mal's daughter Lily.

"Hey!" Emma exclaimed happily, as she hugged her sons.

"Happy Thanksgiving mom!" The boys said simultaneously before giving her a kiss on the cheek and running towards their grandfather.

"Come in," Emma said and to make her point, she stepped aside to let the trio enter the house.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Ems" Regina said as she gave Emma a bottle of red wine which the blonde accepted.

"Mal." She said coldly when she noticed the other woman, giving her a firm handshake.

"Hello, Emma" The blonde greeted and then continued. "This is my daughter, Lilith"

"It's Lily and nice to meet you." The brunette said while rolling her eyes at her mother.

"Emma, and thank you for joining us for our family dinner," Emma replied charmingly. "Would you like anything to drink before dinner?" Emma asked all three of them.

"I'd like a beer." Lily requested, also replying with a shrug at her mother's glare.

"Relax, mama bear, I won't get her drunk." Emma teased before going to grab a beer for the younger woman.

"Come and sit with me in the kitchen," Regina whispered in Mal's ear as she kissed a cheek. Mal obliged but not before saying to her daughter to be good.

A few minutes later Emma joined Lily, who was standing awkwardly in the space between the living room and the kitchen.

"We don't bite you know." Emma teased as she guided the brunette towards the living room where all the males of the family were.

"So, Lily." She began "Where do you work?" She tried with some safe topics.

"I'm still studying to become a reporter," Lily replied before laughing at Emma's widening eyes.

"Yeah, I know I look older than I am. What about you?" She inquired

"You think?" Emma laughed. "Well, I work as a lawyer at my father's firm," Emma answered

"I always found lawyers kind hot," Lily said boldly making Emma choke on her drink.

"Easy there tiger." She laughed awkwardly. "But yeah, being able to defend someone or throw someone else in jail just with the power of words can be hot" She winked at the other woman.

"Don't forget the power suits." She winked back as she gave Emma, who was wearing navy slacks, a white button-up- and a navy tie, a once over

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you're flirting with me" Emma joked while rubbing the back of her neck.

"What if I am?" The girl asked challenging while touching Emma's bicep making Emma gulp.

"First of all, you know me like ten minutes. I know that I am irresistible but not that much. Secondly, you could be my daughter." Emma pointed out making Lily huff.

"Fine, I was doing that on purpose. Not that you're not attractive or something but because I'm trying to make your ex-wife jealous." Lily revealed.

"Oh?" Emma asked confused.

"Look, I love Regina and she's been an amazing friend to my mother. But before they started dating, ma and my other mom had started acting civil towards each other once again. And I was hoping.." She revealed.

"You sound just like Henry." Emma smiled. "He's also trying to bring me and Regina back together. He thinks I haven't noticed but these boys are as discreet as a bull in a China shop." Emma laughed, remembering her sons' efforts to reunite their mothers.

"I'm not saying that I want them back together, at least not now, but I don't want them to ruin that little progress they've made. Because I know that if Ursula finds out about my mom's relationship she's gonna be really hurt. So by hitting on you, I thought that Regina would be jealous and leave my mom" Lily confessed.

"Well, it doesn't work like that and you know it. I'm pretty sure you've been in a serious relationship and you know that couples don't always break up for silly reasons." Emma reasoned and Lily sighed.

"Can you at least play along for a while?" She implored.

"Fine" Emma agreed. "But if your mother threatens me about trying to seduce her baby girl, I'm telling you on" Emma warned and Lily nodded. Emma couldn't believe she agreed to such a plan but she understood Lily and how she was feeling, so she would try to help her.

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After a while the rest of the Mills family arrived, bringing an apple pie and a pumpkin pie along with them. Emma couldn't tell when it was the last time the whole family spent some time together. Last year's Thanksgiving, the two families didn't celebrate it together as it was the first holiday after Regina and Emma's divorce so they agreed to give the newly divorced couple space. So the previous year, the boys spent Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve with the Mills family and Christmas with the Swan family.

When the dinner was ready, Mary Margaret called all the guests to the dining room. Regina and Mal sat next to each other and Lily opted for the seat next to Emma and opposite to Regina so she could read the other woman's face for any reaction that it could imply jealousy. The dinner started with a small talk among the occupants of the table. It was going pretty smooth and Regina realized she had missed this. The boys seemed to be pretty happy, being with both of their mothers together while also being in the centre of the attention of their grandparents and uncles. They were the only grandchildren or nephews these two families had so every single member of both the Swan and the Mills family coddled them and none of them could say no to their puppy dog eyes. Shaking her head from the raging thoughts Regina tried to focus on what Colin and Ezra were saying about Simba, school and girlfriends (because of course her sons would be little heartbreakers.)

Once the dinner finished most of the guests moved to the living room, continuing with their small talk while others stayed in the kitchen to help or keep company to Mary Margaret. Emma wasn't one of them as she was sitting at one of the couches with Lily talking about everything and nothing in particular. Despite the young of her age, Emma had to admit that the girl was very perceptive and witty, making their conversation even more intriguing. As she was sitting there, she noticed in the corner of her eye Ezra running towards her.

"Hey there buddy," Emma said as she kissed his cheek.

"Hey." The boy grinned. "Can you please come with me?" The boy asked out of the blue.

"Where?" Emma asked back, in confusion.

"Come." The boy huffed before dragging Emma with him. She only managed to give Lily an apologetic look before following her younger son, who apparently guided her towards the kitchen and specifically to where Regina and Mal were sitting.

"Hi," he said so as his brunette mother could notice him and Emma.

"Hi, little prince!" Regina responded while giving him a kiss. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

"I want to play with Mal." He announced, giving his best Swan grin, one that no-one could resist.

"We're talking now darling." Regina tried to decline for Mal but Ezra was having none of it.

"Please?" He begged, also making his lips into a pout.

"How could I resist this pout?" Mal asked rhetorically as she stood up while lifting Ezra in her arms and leaving the room.

"Hi," Emma said as she sat next to Regina making the other woman chuckle.

"Hello, dear." She smiled at Emma.

"Are you having fun?" Emma asked, looking at Regina fondly.

"I am Ems, what about you? I see you're getting cosy with Lily." Regina pointed out and Emma's eyes perked at that. Could she possibly be jealous? She thought.

"Yes, she's a very nice girl. We have many things in common and she's very smart." Emma replied.

"She's also ten years younger than you and Mal's daughter," Regina emphasized.

"It's not like I asked her to marry me, Regina." Emma rolled her eyes.

"I'm just saying." Regina shrugged.

"What exactly?" Emma pressed.

"I understand that you might want to move on dear, but do you want to do that with Lily?"

"Jeez Regina, we were just talking!" Emma hissed,

"Talking doesn't involve touching, dear." Regina pointed out.

"Well, maybe that's who she is. Touching people with whom she feels comfortable. What's your problem anyway?" Emma asked defensively.

"I don't want you to get hurt," Regina admitted.

"Is this about me or you? Maybe you're the one that doesn't want to get hurt." Emma challenged.

"And here I thought, you had started acting like an adult. Clearly, I was wrong." Regina jabbed before exiting the kitchen. A few minutes later, Lily came in.

"Well?" She asked curiously.

"She's totally jealous." Emma grinned at the other woman as she high-fived her.


	10. Chapter 10

Despite everything that had happened on Thanksgiving, with Regina's bout of jealousy and their little argument with Emma, she was still in for her evening with her sons at the blonde's apartment. In fact, she was looking forward to it. Yet, she didn't know what to expect. Would it be awkward between her and her ex-wife? Would their sons plan something to get them together? On that note, she really had to talk to them about their little operation. Not only would it make the former lovers, at some point, uncomfortable, but also it wasn't fair for Mal either. Mal was really trying to prove that she's worthy of her but whatever the boys were doing, they were undermining that progress. So, this evening with Emma was a perfect excuse for both mothers to talk to their little meddlers. With these thoughts in mind, Regina got up from the bed to start with her morning ritual.

It was Saturday morning which meant that Regina didn't have anything to do, other than wait for the evening. The hours were passing incredibly slow to the point that Regina started doing chores around the house in order to occupy herself. She also thought of baking something and take it with her to Emma's house since she was pretty sure that the boys were feeding on take-out. A healthy dish wouldn't be that bad. Texting Emma to let her know that she's bringing food with her, she started making a dough for a homemade pizza, cookies and of course her famous apple turnovers. She also thought of making bear claws, as it was Emma's favourite, and she was about to find the recipe at one of her old cookbooks when the doorbell rang. Frowning in confusion and dusting her hands clear of flour on her apron, she walked towards the front door. Upon opening it her face went from pure perplexion to realization; she and Mal had made plans for the weekend. Oh boy, she thought internally.

"Looking at this face, I'd say you forgot about today," Mal remarked as Regina let her enter the house.

"Don't be silly, I just thought you were coming later." Regina lied to her girlfriend, giving her a peck on the lips.

"Ah," Mal said before continuing. "How's your morning been beautiful?" She asked while following Regina to the kitchen.

"As you can see, busy," Regina replied with a laugh. "I didn't know what to do, so I started baking." She shrugged, going back to the task at hand.

"Are we feeding an army? Or were you that bored?" Mal joked once she saw the different baking pans that were sprawled over Regina's kitchen island.

"Well, you know my boys; they can devour all these in half an hour. It's good to be prepared." She shrugged, making Mal chuckle.

"You won't see them for another day, I'm sure you'll have time to bake tomorrow." Mal voiced while trying to get Regina out of her apron.

"Actually-" Regina began. "I may or may not have made plans with Emma for a family evening at her apartment," she revealed, avoiding to look the other woman in the eyes. She had screwed up and she knew it.

"When did you and Emma plan this?" She asked calmly.

"A few days before Thanksgiving. She had stopped by the clinic to invite me to her parents' house and we started talking about the boys. One thing led to another and she said it'd be nice if the boys spent some time with just the two of us, since we haven't done this in a very long time." Regina bit her lip. If Mal chose to lash out right now she'd be right to do so.

"So, you know about this for over a week now and you haven't told me anything," Mal concluded.

"I...yes." Regina agreed.

"Please say something." she implored when Mal didn't say anything.

"I don't know what to say, Regina," Mal admitted. "I don't know if I'm hurt, angry or jealous about this. I don't know if I should make a big deal out of this or act like a supportive girlfriend and tell you to have fun with the kids. But that's the issue; you won't only be with your sons.

"How many times do I have to tell you that nothing is going on between me and Emma?" Regina asked rhetorically. "Yes we share a past, yes, we are a united front when it comes to our sons but we can't do otherwise. You were there when I and Emma got a divorce. You've seen how much this had affected the boys. Mine and Emma's paths are gonna be intertwined forever or at least until the boys grow up and realize that they don't need us anymore. And you can't be jealous of her for that part, as I can't be jealous of your ex-wife." Regina reasoned.

"Me and Ursula are a whole different story," Mal defended.

"Well, she didn't cheat on you, so there wasn't any bad blood between you too. You stopped loving each other so that was it and you did get a divorce on good terms. So your history with your ex-wife is much better than mine's." Regina pointed out.

"You said it yourself, Regina. Me and Ursula stopped loving each other. You and Emma didn't. She still loves you and I'm sure that a part of you still and will always love her." Mal sighed.

"I.." Regina started but Mal cut her off. "No, I don't mean that you love her as a friend or as someone who you've been through so much with; you love her romantically. And I'm fine with it most of the times. But there are days, like today, that I do feel like I'm a rebound to you Regina, someone to help you get over Emma because you're afraid of getting hurt by her again." Mal confessed in a pained tone.

"Mal, I'm sorry that you feel that way, but it's not like that. I like you; I like the way you make me feel when I'm around you, how incredibly good you're with my sons, how sweet you can be and all these little gestures you do to make me feel appreciated. I like being with you because of who you are as a person not because you were in the right place the right time." Regina reassured. "And I don't want you to compare yourself and our relationship to Emma and to what I had with her. Yes, Emma means a lot to me, yes, I owe her a lot and yes, I'll always feel something about her. But she hurt me; intentionally or not, she did. And I'm still bitter about that."

"I'm sorry for acting like an insecure, jealous girlfriend, but I really do like you, Regina." She smiled sadly.

"I like you too, dear. And I'm sorry for lying to you or forgetting to tell you about this, for that matter." Regina apologized.

"It's okay, dear." Mal waved it off, hugging Regina in the process.

"So, how about helping me finish these cookies and then show you how much grateful I am to have you?" Regina said while winking at Mal, making her laugh.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After spending the rest of the morning with Mal, Regina was getting ready for her family evening with her sons and ex-wife. Her talk with Mal had been enlighting and made Regina understand how much she meant to the other woman. This, though, made her both happy and anxious at the same time; She didn't want to hurt the blonde but she was afraid that she'll do so. Mal had invested so much in their relationship, far more than Regina had and that made her feel guilty. However, Regina needed her time. There were times that Mal would be understanding and give Regina the time and space she needed. But there were also times, like today, when her girlfriend would feel insecure or even jealous of her ex-wife and Regina didn't really know how to deal with it. Sighing in resignation she grabbed one of her jeans from the closet. She opted for something casual; black jeans along with a woollen cream sweater and black combat boots. It wasn't something that she'd wear usually, but it was a relaxing evening in Emma's apartment so it would definitely do. Applying just a touch of mascara and her favourite red lipstick, she grabbed her purse and her phone and went downstairs. Her next stop was the kitchen; in an isothermic bag, she put the three containers with the food she had prepared earlier and after making sure that everything was okay, she grabbed her keys and left the house. Time to spend some time with my baby boys she thought to herself as she started the car and left the mansion.

Ten minutes later, Regina was in front of Emma's apartment. She was trying to balance the bag in one hand while knocking the door with the other. Thankfully, the Swans didn't take long to answer and moments after Regina knocked the door, it opened to reveal Colin dressed in a Star Wars onesie.

"Mom!" The boy squealed as he hugged his mother's waist tightly.

"Hello, my little prince." She said as she tried to hug him back. Watching her struggle though, Colin, as the gentleman he was, took the bag from her hands, relieving her from the extra weight.

"Thank you, baby" Regina kissed his head and followed him into Emma's apartment. By entering the house, she noticed Ezra and Henry, also dressed in Star Wars onesies, playing video games. Once they noticed her too, they paused the game and they quickly rushed to hug her.

"Hey, princes, looking good with your onesies." She complimented them teasingly earning a blush from both boys.

"Ma bought these for us a few days ago, as an early Christmas present. She bought one for herself too." Henry grinned making Regina chuckle.

"Of course she did. And speaking of your mother, where is she?" Regina asked curiously.

"She's in the study. A client called her, saying it was urgent, so she's been for a little less than an hour there." Henry informed her and Regina nodded.

"Maybe we should do this another time..." Regina began but she was cut off by Emma who emerged from the room, dressed in her onesie.

"No need, I heard you knocking so I told him that I had a very important business to attend and we hang up." Emma beamed as she lifted Ezra in her arms, giving him a kiss.

"And he believed you?" She teased.

"These onesies are very businesslike," Emma deadpanned making Regina laugh.

"I'd die to see you going to court wearing this." Regina joked while following Emma and the boys to the living room. Colin was already there munching popcorn.

"You're just jealous," Emma exclaimed earning a snort from Regina.

"You got me." She quipped as she sat next to her middle son. Ezra ran quickly claiming the seat between his two brothers, so Emma's only choice of a seat was next to her ex-wife.

Seeing Emma's hesitation to sit next to her, Regina teased her.

"I don't bite Miss Swan."

"I know, I..uhm, my usual spot is to where Colin is seating." Emma lied to hide her discomfort but Ezra blew the whistle.

"No, it's not." And Emma glared at him while mumbling "Remind me to tell our sons to keep their mouths shut when their parents are lying."

"Well, you shouldn't lie in the first place, Swan," Regina smirked.

"You're unbelievable" Emma huffed and then continued. "Anyway, what do you guys want to watch?" And apparently, it was the wrong thing to ask as she heard all three of them talking simultaneously with one option each. Ezra, of course, wanted a Captain America movie, Colin said that they could watch the "A Nightmare Before Christmas" movie while Henry suggested one of Disney's classic movies.

"Captain America or at least the Avengers," Ezra said in an authoritative tone and both Emma and Regina tried so hard not to laugh.

"Bubbah.." Colin rolled his eyes in a true Regina style. "It's practically Christmas, we must watch a Christmas movie" Colin tried to reason but Ezra was having none of it.

"Your turn," Colin said to Henry, as the older boy had a lot more chances to convince the younger boy.

"Ez-" Henry began but Ezra was quicker.

"No." He dismissed him quickly. Emma couldn't keep it any longer and burst into laughter.

"Do you wanna try?" Henry growled and Emma raised her arms in surrender. Regina, however, who also watching the scene unfolding in front of her, decided to take matters into her own hands as she knew that if she let the boys decide about the movie, it would take them all day.

"Bubbah, come here." She said while patting her lap, for the boy to sit. Complying with his mother request, Ezra sat on her lap as he looked at his mother expectingly.

"Okay, what about watching a Christmas movie-" She began but Ezra interrupted her.

"Are you siding with Col?" He narrowed his eyes at his mother and Emma was 100% sure that this boy would be a nightmare once he'd hit puberty.

"You didn't let me finish," Regina said in a serious tone and the boy nodded embarrassingly.

"We'll watch the Christmas movie, which is also a Disney one, so we can both please Henry and Colin and after that, we'll watch a superhero movie, how about that?" She suggested. Ezra looked at his brothers, then at Emma, who nodded at him and replied.

"Fine" he huffed in defeat, before leaving Regina's lap and going to sit next to his brothers.

"Excellent. And since you all have been very good this week, I brought you some cookies, apple turnovers and a pizza for tonight's family dinner." She announced, getting as a response four yey's from her boys and Emma. Laughing at their silliness, Regina left the room for a minute and returned with the snacks she had made. Once everything was set, Emma pressed the play button and the movie started.

"I can't believe you actually managed to convince Bubbah. This kid is as stubborn as a mule." Emma said bemusedly.

"He learned that from you," Regina smirked. "You can be stubborn as an ox." She added.

"Like you aren't." Emma shot back.

"I guess he took after both of us."Regina smiled at her ex-wife.

"Look at you, using your Mills charm." Emma teased, as she tried not to think of how close they were so as not to disturb the boys.

"It was my charm that won you over Swan." Regina grinned, earning a low chuckle from Emma.

"It wasn't only your charm Regina. It was how you fell in love with Henry, the moment you met him." Emma replied sincerely.

"So, did we have to thank Henry for bringing us together?" Regina asked.

"You thanked him and me enough, by making us a family. Surely, me and Hen would have managed on our own somehow, but to be honest Regina, I don't know if I could have done this without you."

"Truth be told, I wouldn't have done it alone either," Regina admitted. "Before Henry, I wasn't really sure that I wanted a kid, let alone three. But this boy won me over the moment I laid my eyes on him," Regina said, tears gathering in her eyes.

"I've never quite asked you, but what was the first thing you thought when you saw him?" Emma asked curiously.

"That this is how you know you want a kid of your own. He wasn't even mine, hell I didn't even know his name, but I knew that I'd kill for this boy to call me, mom.." Regina said and both women were now in tears.

"Henry's future wife will be so lucky to have you as a mother-in-law." Emma joked in an attempt to break this little emotional moment for the boys' sake.

"Well, first of all, none of my boys will get married until they're twenty-eight. I made a deal with each one of them when they were four." Regina admitted jokingly.

"Sneaky move." Emma laughed.

"I also made a deal with Ezra not to grow up. It didn't work that much as you can see."

"You should have made a deal with time, not Ezra," Emma said playfully.

"Υou should've told me earlier," Regina whined and Emma's heart swelled with love.

"I'm sorry it won't happen again." Emma teased, earning a slap on her arm from Regina.

"Idiot." She mumbled as Emma grinned at her. Neither of them had noticed the three pair of eyes which were looking at them.

"Operation Panther: phase one is a success." Henry beamed while fist pumping his brothers.

None of them realized how quickly the movie ended as none of them was paying attention to it. Emma and Regina, when they were not talking, they'd steal a glance at each other. The boys, on the other hand, would whisper about what they should do next, in order to keep their mothers together a little more. So when Colin noticed that the movie ended, he rushed to put another one. Their plan though, to observe their mothers failed, as thirty minutes through the second movie, both Colin and Henry had passed out on the couch, with Ezra being completely engrossed in the movie. Regina, however, had noticed that the boy was fighting to keep his eyes open, something that made her smile.

"Baby boy, I think it's about time you went to bed." She whispered so as not to wake the other two boys."

"No." He said stubbornly, without looking at Regina.

"Tell you what; You'll go now to sleep and you'll continue this movie tomorrow okay?" The boy must have been really tired because not only did he not fight Regina but he also raised his arms for her to carry him to bed. Regina complied, lifting the boy into her arms and taking him to his bedroom. Before doing so, though, she asked Emma if she could put Colin to bed too. Emma nodded before standing up and raising Colin in her arms, taking him to his and Ezra's room. When she entered the room, Regina had finished tucking Ezra as she also gave him a goodnight kiss. Once she noticed Emma though, she chided her.

"Emma! I said bring him there not carry him!."

"Hey, relax this is not the first time they fell asleep on the couch. I got this." She reassured before, getting him into bed and tucking him. When she finished too, both women left the room and went back to the living room where Henry was now awake.

"You should go to bed too," Emma suggested.

"I will in a few," Henry said.

"And I should go," Regina stated. It was well past ten and the day was getting to her.

"Mom it's late, you shouldn't drive all alone," Henry said concerned yet with a mischief in his voice, that neither woman noticed.

"He's right, Gina, I can drive you home if you want." Emma offered.

"Or.," Henry interjected. "Mom could stay here."

"Yeah, I don't mind," Emma added. "You can take my bed."

"I don't know Emma." Regina bit her lip.

"Come on mom, think of how happy the boys will be when they wake up in the morning and find you here." Henry tried to persuade his mother. Thankfully, the -Ezra and Colin will be happy- card worked and Regina relented.

"Fine." She sighed in defeat. To be honest, she also didn't mind waking up there and cooking for her sons and Emma.

"Also, since ma has a problem with her back and well, it's not right for guests to sleep on the couch, you both have to sleep in ma's bed." Henry grinned mischievously and Emma narrowed her eyes at him. He was good, she could give him that.

"I suppose you're right. We're also adults and we can handle ourselves." Regina reasoned and Emma nodded.

"It's just sleeping, moms." Henry pointed out. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. Love you moms." He said as he pecked his mothers' cheeks.

Emma and Regina stayed up for a little while to clean the mess their sons had made. They were also pretty nervous to go to Emma's bedroom and they were trying to delay it as much as possible. However, it was a little after midnight and they could barely keep their eyes open. So, Emma made the first move and went towards her bedroom. Mere seconds later Regina followed.

"So.." Emma began "I usually sleep on the right side of the bed unless you want to sleep there. I mean you were always sleeping on the left side when we were together, so I don't know if that changed now..." Emma rambled.

"No, dear, the left side is okay."

"Perfect. Let me get you some PJs." She said and left the room. After a while, she was back with a pair of satin pyjamas, clean towels and a toothbrush. She handed them to Regina who accepted them gratefully.

"Do you want me to turn around or leave the room?" She asked once she saw that Regina had removed her sweater and she was now in a black camisole.

"It's not like you haven't seen me in my underwear before Emma." Regina teased and continue stripping in front of her ex-wife. Emma, though, still wanted to give to the brunette some privacy so she averted her eyes towards the window. Once Regina was ready, she lied next to Emma, keeping a safe distance between them.

"You have a nice bedroom," Regina commented after minutes of silence.

"Yeah, Rubes, helped me decorate it," Emma admitted.

"Well, tell her she did a good job."

"Will do" Emma smiled.

Silence prevailed once more and both women didn't know how to break it. It was Emma, though, who spoke first.

"Goodnight Regina." She said

"Goodnight Ems."

Both, however, knew that it was going to be a long night.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning Emma woke up with a feeling of someone pressing her chest. Opening her eyes she was met with raven hair sprawled over her chest. Twisting her head a bit, in order to have a better view, she saw her ex-wife being all over her; Regina's left leg was on Emma's navel while her left arm was hugging her upper abdomen. She was clinging to Emma like a baby koala and Emma felt both a warm in her heart and a slight panic. How would Regina react if she woke up to find herself being all over Emma? How would she move without waking up the other woman? Sighing in frustration, she let her head fall back on the pillow. Her best shot now was to pretend that she was asleep and let Regina untangle herself when she wakes up.

However, that didn't happen any time soon. An hour had passed and Regina was still pressed at Emma's side. Emma didn't mind at the beginning, but for the past thirty minutes she badly wanted to go to the bathroom and Regina pressing her bladder, wasn't helping at all. Seeing that Regina wouldn't wake up for at least another hour she decided to bring out the big guns. With her free arm, she grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand and texted Colin, telling him to wake Ezra up and that they both come to her bedroom and surprise their mom. She also texted him that if he told Regina that this was her idea, he'd better forget the new Nintendo console that she had promised to buy him as a Christmas present.

Not five minutes later, Emma could hear her sons' pitter-patter outside her room. Closing her eyes as if she were asleep, she heard the door opening and mere seconds later she felt her sons jumping on the bed as they were screaming at their other mother;

"Good morning mom!"

They continued jumping up and down while they were kissing Regina. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the brunette to open her eyes, a big smile on her face. How she loved when her sons woke her up like that. However, when she noticed her current sleeping position, panic started to crawl all over her body. Raising her head, she saw that Emma was still asleep. Sighing in relief she quickly untangled herself from her ex-wife and abruptly grabbed Ezra by his feet, making him land on her abdomen. The boy started laughing causing Regina to laugh along with him.

"Good morning my princes." She said as she kissed them both.

"Good morning mama" Colin kissed her back, before going to Emma's side and started tickling her nose. He thought, for a second, that Emma was indeed asleep so when she grabbed him by his sides and lifted him up, the boy squealed causing another fit of laughter to the bed's occupants.

"Good morning kiddo." She smiled as she left Colin land on her body.

"We're hungry," both boys said simultaneously earning a laugh from their mothers.

"That's a shocker, coming from you." Regina teased and the two brunets grinned at her.

"Okay, how about one of you wake up Henry and the other help me with breakfast?" Regina suggested but Emma interjected.

"First of all, you are our guest so you are not supposed to make breakfast, we are. Secondly, the boys kinda promised that they'll cook one of these days."

"Even though I do trust our sons in the kitchen more than you, making breakfast for you is the least I can do. But since they promised, they'll both help me ." Regina stated as she looked at her sons. "Go brush your teeth and then meet me in the kitchen." She ordered them and both boys complied.

"Thank you," Emma said when both kids left the room.

"What for?" Regina asked confused.

"Well for one, coming here so we could all spend a family night together. And for making breakfast. We usually visit my parents on Sundays as we're too bored to cook." Emma joked.

"I should be the one thanking you Emma. You invited me over." Regina smiled and then continued. "But don't you think that you'll get away and we'll be making breakfast while you're playing video games. Your job is to wake Henry up." Regina said with a glint in her eyes, making Emma groan.

"I would prefer making breakfast. Come on Regina, that's like the most difficult task ever. Herny won't wake up even if the house is on fire." Emma whined and Regina refrained herself from smirking. She had missed these mornings when she and Emma would argue about who would wake up their sons. She had missed this playfulness between them.

"Bribe him, dear. What kind of a lawyer are you?" Regina winked.

"Not a corrupted one." Emma joked. "Food and video games won't work I tried them before," Emma informed.

"What about a car?" Regina suggested.

"Are we letting him get one?" Emma asked.

"Well, we know that Henry, among the three of them, will be the most responsible with a car. His grades are excellent, he hasn't caused any kind of trouble, so I guess why not? And with everything that had happened this past couple of years, I believe he earned it." Regina reasoned and Emma nodded.

"If you're okay with it, I don't mind."

"Perfect. Now go wake up our son and I am going to help our little chefs." Regina announced as she got up from the bed.

Emma, though, stayed in bed for a little while. This morning, with Regina in bed talking about their sons, felt so normal, like something that they've never stopped doing. It was easy to fall back into this routine with Regina. They were co-parents and that made things easier. No matter how things will be between them, their boys will always bond them and that would never change.

After stretching to clear her mind off the different thoughts she got up and went to the bathroom to start her morning routine.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Emma finished her morning ritual, her next stop was Henry's bedroom. Opening the door, she found her eldest son sprawled on his bed. Henry was a very heavy and messy sleeper and waking him up was a difficult job, especially on weekends when the teenager wanted to sleep in.

Entering the room, she walked towards Henry's bed where she sat next to his sleeping body. Putting her hand on his unruly hair, she started playing with it as a way to wake him up.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead." She sing-songed, but of course, that wouldn't do the job.

"Henry, your mom is making your favourite chocolate chipped pancakes." She said, but Henry didn't even budge.

"I talked with your mother and we agreed on buying you a car," Emma announced. And that did the trick. Henry's eyes shot open, as he got up, bringing his face an inch away from Emma's.

"You're not kidding, are you?" He asked dead serious.

"Nope." Emma grinned.

"Oh my god!" He squealed before running towards the kitchen, faster than Emma could blink.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." He said as he hugged Regina, lifting her up in the air.

"I told you that this would wake him up." Regina chuckled as she noticed Emma from the corner of her eye, leaning on the door frame and watching the scene unfold in front of her.

"Really moms, thank you so much." Henry beamed at them, before letting Regina back on her feet as he went to hug Emma.

"You're welcome, my prince," Regina said fondly.

"I want a car too," Ezra said out of the blue, making Emma laugh.

"Tell me that again in at least ten years," Regina replied while putting a plate full of pancakes in front of him and Colin.

"What about me?" Colin asked with a cheeky grin.

"The same applies to you," Emma chimed in.

"But I'm ten!" He whined.

"And a public danger." Emma teased, ruffling his hair.

"And you are mean and you texted me this morning to wake mama up because she was sleeping all over you" Colin revealed making both Emma and Regina's eyes widen in surprise.

"Forget about the Nintendo, traitor," Emma mumbled while hiding her face from Regina.

"You were awake?" Regina inquired.

"I..yes" Emma admitted.

"You are in trouble." Ezra giggled, but with one glare from Emma, he went back to eating his breakfast.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Regina asked confused.

"Because I knew you'd react just like that if I tried to wake you up so I let the boys do the job for me and save you the embarrassment," Emma admitted.

"You're unbelievable Swan." Regina huffed, before leaving the room.

"Go talk to her." Henry prompted, as he took Regina's empty seat in the table.

"No," Emma said petulantly and tried to sit next to the boys but Henry didn't let her, as he perched his legs on the only empty chair.

"Stop acting like a seven-year-old, no offence Bubbah, and go talk to her." He rolled his eyes. Emma huffed in irritation, before going after her ex-wife.

She found Regina in the living room and she was about to start apologising when she noticed that the other woman was talking on the phone.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't reply to your texts but I left my phone in the living room," Regina explained to whoever she was talking to.

"No, I'm not at home, I'm still at Emma's. I..I slept here." She stammered and by that Emma realized that she was talking to Mal.

"It was late when the movie ended and the boys wouldn't let me leave. Yes, don't worry, I'll leave as soon as I can. I have to go now. Talk to you later, love." She hung up and let her cell phone on the coffee table.

"I didn't know that it was so bad to spend time with your kids," Emma said making Regina span in her heels in order to face her.

"Emma...how long have you been standing there?"Regina asked instead.

"I heard everything. Like how you didn't tell her that you slept on my bed or that "you'll leave as soon as you can"." Emma replied using air quotes.

"Emma that's not what I meant. If I could, I'd never leave this place." Regina confessed, catching Emma by surprise.

"You know how hard it is for me to leave the boys." She continued. "But I'm in a new relationship now, you know how things can be. I couldn't tell her that or that I slept with you. What would that make her think especially since knowing our history? I didn't lie to her, I just omit things that would surely hurt her. And I'm sure as hell, I didn't lie to you or the boys. Also, sorry for acting like that earlier. I didn't mean to." Regina apologised.

"Yeah and I'm sorry for not waking you up in the morning. I just knew that you'd be embarrassed and I didn't want to take our relationship two steps back by acting awkward to one another." Emma admitted.

"It's okay dear. You know I'm a hugger." Regina tried to ease the tension, something that she did manage as Emma laughed.

"Yeah, I know, like a baby koala." Emma teased and then continued. "Anyway, shall we go eat breakfast because I'm starving?"

"Lead the way, Miss Swan." Regina prompted and both women made their way to the kitchen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After spending the rest of the morning with the boys, playing video and board games with them, Regina decided that it was time to leave. She had made plans with Mal for lunch, so with a heavy heart, she kissed her sons goodbye. However, it wouldn't be for long, as this evening Emma promised to drive the boys back to the mansion. Bidding fair well to Emma and her sons one last time and also thanking the blonde for everything she left the apartment.

Her next stop was at Mal's house where the other blonde was waiting for her. Fluffing her hair in the rearview mirror, in order to look somewhat presentable, she stepped out of the car and walked to the front door. Knocking the door she waited for a few seconds before the door opened to reveal Mal's daughter, Lily.

"Lily hey" Regina exclaimed surprised.

"Hello to you too, Regina," Lily said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She stepped aside though, to let the other woman enter the house.

"How are you dear?" Regina asked.

"A bit full from all the food that mom's been feeding me these past few days but otherwise everything is perfect. How are the little munchkins?" Lily inquired.

"Glad that they don't have school," Regina chuckled. "They are good, spending some time with Emma." She smiled.

"Oh, how's Emma? I haven't talked to her since yesterday morning, I think." Lily lied watching how Regina's eyes darken with this information.

"She didn't mention anything." Regina mumbled and the replied, "She's fine and she's busy with the boys, that's why she probably didn't answer." Regina gave her a fake smile. "Where is your mother?" she added quickly.

"She took Jack out for a walk, she'll be back in a few," Lily informed. "So tell me, Emma is single right?" Lily provoked. She wanted to see how far she'd have to go before Regina snapped.

"Yes she is, as far as I know, but I don't think that she's right for you dear," Regina advised.

"Oh, and why's that?" She asked challengingly.

"Well for one, she's ten years older than you. She is a fully committed mother of three and that makes her free time much more limited. You should know that our sons monopolize most of our time. Do you think that you could date someone with minimum spare time to see you, three sons and a full-time job?" She asked.

"If you have feelings for someone then it's not that difficult." Lily pointed out.

"Do you..do you have feelings for Emma?" Regina stammered, scared of what she will hear.

"Do you?" Lily pressed.

"I.." Thankfully Regina was saved by Mal entering the living room, Jack in tow.

"Hey, beautiful, I wasn't expecting you this early," Mal said, as she pecked Regina's lips.

"Yeah, I wanted to surprise you," Regina said in a hoarse voice, something that Mal immediately noticed.

"Is everything okay?" She asked looking between Regina and Lily.

"Yes, everything is fine dear," Regina replied.

"Oookay. I'm going to make us some lunch." Mal announced before leaving the two brunettes once again alone.

"You didn't answer my question." Lily reminded her.

"There's nothing to answer dear. If you want to pursue something with Emma, then by all means do. I just want what's best for you and Emma. " Regina shrugged, in order to hide her worry.

"We are big girls, we can make our own decisions."

"Excellent then. If you excuse me, I'm going to help your mother with lunch." Regina said before leaving the room.

As soon as Regina left the room, Lily pulled her cell phone out of her pocket before dialling a number she knew by heart. A few ringings later the other person picked up the phone.

"Hello, ma." Lily greeted her other mother.

"Lily? Is everything okay?" Ursula asked concerned.

"Yeap, everything's good. I just wanted to know if you've made plans for tonight." Lily said innocently.

"I have a few papers to grade for tomorrow but other than that I'm free, why?"

"I wondered if you could come by later. I have a feeling that mom is gonna need you tonight."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Regina was sitting at one of the stools at Mal's kitchen and she was playing distractedly with an apple from the fruit bowl. Because of her talk with Lily, she has started feeling more and more perplexed about her feelings for both Emma and Mal.

"Regina?" Mal tried to get Regina's attention by clicking her fingers in front of Regina's face.

"Hmm?"

"I asked you how are the boys?"

"Oh, they are good. They are enjoining these four days away from school as much as the can by eating and playing video games. I'll find it really hard to put them back on track tonight." She chuckled.

"Regina is everything okay? Since you've entered the room, you've been distracted and I haven't managed to get a word out of you. Talk to me." Mal implored.

"I'm just tired dear. These four days, even though I wasn't working, have been very exhausting." Regina lied.

"Is this the only reason?" Mal pressed.

"What else could it be, love?" Regina asked confused making Mal sigh.

"I think we need to talk," Mal confessed. These six words made Regina blood freeze.

"Talk about what?"

"About us." She revealed. "I believe it would be better if we break up."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later that night and after Regina had left, Mal was sitting in her bed crying. She knew that what she did was for the best for both of them, that didn't mean though that it didn't hurt. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." She whispered, not wanting to spend much energy on talking. She was tired and hurt. The door opened to reveal Ursula.

"Hey, I heard that someone's in need of a whiskey and some ice cream." Ursula smiled to her ex-wife.

"Is it chocolate mint ice cream?" Mal asked, wiping her eyes clear of tears.

"Of course, what else could it be?"

"In that case get your ass here." She grinned, before making some room for the other woman to sit.

"I'm glad you came," Mal confessed to the other woman after a few minutes of silence.

"I'm glad I did too." And with that Ursula hugged Mal, passing her, at the same time, a spoon and the carton with her favourite ice-cream.

"To breakups" Mal raised her spoon in the air.

"To breakups." Ursula did the same as both women laughed.


	12. Chapter 12

Once Regina got home, her first stop was the kitchen. Dropping her keys and purse on the kitchen island she opened the fridge and retrieved a bottle of wine. She didn't even bother with a glass as she started drinking straight from the bottle. How such a promising evening and a perfect day turned out to be the worst? She was feeling like reliving her divorce all over again. Letting herself drop to one of the kitchen stools she took a deep breath and played the scene once again in her mind;

" _I believe it would be better if we break up" Mal confessed, without meeting Regina's eyes._

" _Wh-what?" Regina stammered. Did she hear that right?_

_Mal sighed. "Regina...We should break up." Mal repeated more firmly this time. She looked the other woman in the eyes, letting her know that this wasn't a joke._

" _Why?" Regina asked in a hoarse voice._

_"Because.." She paused and then continued after taking a deep breath. "You're still in love with Emma. I'm not saying that you don't have feelings for me, because I know you do. But what you feel for me would never beat what you feel for her. And it's not only about what you two share. I can see how much you want to be around her."_

_"I don't. Last night had nothing to do with Emma. It was all about the boys and you know it." Regina defended._

_"You lie to yourself, Regina. You want to be with Emma, you're just afraid that she'll hurt you again. If you had proof that she wouldn't do that, you'd be with her right now. So you chose the best alternative; me"_

_"Mal you have never been an alternative for me. I like you and I would never drag you into such a mess if my feelings for you weren't real or if I wasn't sure about us. Yes, you are right, I still have feelings for Emma but you can't expect me to stop feeling like this. But I wanted..I want this to work out for us." Regina implored._

_"I want this too but I'm doing this for you. I know that at some point you'll end up with Emma again, so I take myself out of the equation. I also know that if Emma tried harder to win you back she'd succeed. So when this happens I want you to be able to choose her without being afraid of hurting me. I want you to be happy Regina and for better or worse the only person that makes you happy is Emma." Mal confessed._

_"She isn't," Regina said through gritted teeth. "She cheated on me without even thinking about me or about what we had, so you can't say that she makes me happy. She might have, once upon a time, but not now."_

_"I know and I also know that she had regretted it ever since. Because at the end of the day she will always be coming back to you. And I'm not saying that after me you'll start seeing her again. I just know that she's your happily ever after." Mal shrugged, trying not to cry in front of the other woman._

_She knew she was fooling herself into believing that Regina may love her one day but deep down she knew that it was wishful thinking. If soulmates were a real thing and not a fairytale parents tell their kids, then she was certain that Emma and Regina were meant to be together. Even when things weren't ideal for their relationship, they would always find a way. So that's why she decided to step_ _back and give Regina the opportunity to be happy with the only person she can be; Emma Swan._

_"That's where you are wrong Mal; I don't want to be with Emma again. I wanted to try with you."_

_"Well, I don't anymore. I hope we can still be friends one day, but I'd be an asshole if I let you be in a relationship that eventually would make you miserable. And that's why I'm letting you go." Mal said defeatedly. "And now if you excuse me, I'll go lay down. Have a good night Regina. And I hope you can forgive me." Mal said, kissing Regina's cheek and leaving the room._

Regina sighed. She didn't want Mal to be right. She didn't care about Emma anymore, at least not in a romantic way. She wouldn't get back with Emma. She owes it to herself. Who could ensure that Emma wouldn't cheat on her again in the future? They do say that once a cheater always a cheater. She did it once and she could do it again if she was feeling like it. And that's why she wouldn't let herself try with Emma. That chapter in her life had closed and she wouldn't go back.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on the front door. Looking at the watch, she sighed. Emma drove the boys back and she wasn't ready to deal with her right now. She hoped that her ex-wife would see that Regina was in no mood and she'd leave her alone. Wiping her eyes clear off any tears she might have had, she went to the front door and after a deep breath, she opened it.

"Hey princes" She exclaimed as she dropped to her knees to hug her two younger boys.

"Hey, mama." The boys said simultaneously, hugging Regina back. She last saw them a few hours ago but with everything that had transpired, it felt like aeons. Hopefully, her three sons would brighten her mood.

"Did you have fun with Emma, after I left?" She asked as she escorted them inside.

"Yes, Nate, Elsa and Anna came over and we played some board games," Colin explained as he helped his little brother out of his coat.

"That sounds good. Where is Henry?".

"Right here." The boy said while stepping inside, Emma in tow. "Someone didn't take his bags out of the trunk and his big brother had to carry them," Henry said, throwing a glare at Colin's direction.

"Sorry?" The boy grinned at his brother who just rolled his eyes.

"I haven't cooked anything for dinner but we can order something," Regina suggested. "Henry, can you please draw a bath for the boys?" Regina asked.

"Yeap." The boy nodded. "Come on big fellas, let's get you cleaned up," He said, lifting both of his brothers in his arms and going upstairs. Emma was still waiting at the front door, as Regina still hadn't given her the permission to enter.

"So" she began after clearing her throat. "Can I come in?"

"To be honest, I'm a little tired," Regina admitted. She tried not to look directly at Emma's hurt expression.

"Ah, okay, I get it." Emma tried to play it cool, but Regina knew better.

"I'm sorry" She apologised.

"Don't be, you had two very long days. I understand that you need to spend some time alone with the boys."

"Thank you, Emma" Regina smiled with gratitude.

"So, I better go then. Have a good night, Gina." Emma said, before turning around and walking away.

"Goodnight Ems," Regina said to no one.

* * *

After Regina bathed the younger boys, helped them with some last minute homework and then had dinner altogether she ordered Henry not to let the boys stay up until late and went to her bedroom. She wanted to stay with them, but these couple of days have been both emotional and physically exhausting.

She ran a relaxing bath for herself and when she finished, she wore her favourite satin pyjamas and laid on the bed. Wearing also her reading glasses, she grabbed a book and started reading so she can occupy herself with something else other than thoughts about Mal and Emma. She shouldn't put these two women into the same category as the reason that she broke up with each was completely different. Still, it hurt the same. It hurt to think about Emma's adultery and the fact that Mal thought that her happy ending was Emma, hurt too. She huffed, as she dropped the book in her lap. The nerve that woman had! The hurt was replaced by fury. How could she break up with her and for such a reason? She would have preferred it if Mal had ended their relationship because she didn't have feelings for her. But this?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Regina didn't even give a permission as Henry opened the door and the three boys entered the room, running towards the bed. They all placed themselves on each side of Regina, giving her a strong hug.

"Okay, what do you want?" Regina joked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at them.

"Lily texted me and told me what happened," Henry admitted as he raised his head to face Regina better.

"Oh" It was all that Regina said. She removed her reading glasses and let them on the nightstand as Henry continued.

"I'm sorry mom."

"What for dear? It would have happened sooner or later." Regina tried to shrug it off.

"Did she break up with you because of us?" He asked concerned.

"You mean because of you trying to get me and Emma back together?" At that Henry lowered his head in embarrassment.

"You thought I hadn't noticed, had you? Well, I had and I have to admit that I wasn't very pleased with you trying to meddle with our relations..."

"I'm s.." but he was cut off by Regina.

"Henry please let me finish. And this goes for all three of you. I know you want me to be happy and I'm sure that you want the same for Emma, but that doesn't mean that we can provide this happiness to each other anymore. I do care about your mother just not in the way you want me to. I'm sorry for this but adult relationships don't work that way. So I would be glad if you stopped trying to bring us together." Regina begged and all three boys nodded.

"Okay, mom. And I'm sorry for everything that happened between you and Mal. That was not our intention when we did this. We just wanted to show you that ma has really changed." Henry explained.

"I know sweetheart and I know that your mother has changed. But the truth is, she hasn't changed because of me, but because of you. She wants you to be proud of her and she wants to be a good mom to you. When you shut her out, she was hurt and that's why she's trying so hard. She doesn't want any of you to hate her. Now, I do believe that it's time for bed." She prompted them. The boys groaned but they eventually complied by kissing her on the cheek and getting up from the bed. But before they could exit the room Regina's voice stopped them.

"I love you, my princes. Never forget that." She smiled at them as the boys grinned back at her and left the room.

Once outside the room, Henry bobbed his head to the other two boys in order to follow him to his bedroom. Entering the room and closing the door behind, Colin, who plopped at Henry's bed, was the first to ask;

"So are we really going to stop Operation Panther?"

"Of course not!." Henry exclaimed and the two boys pumped their fists in the air. "We just have to be more discreet about it and we must change our plans." He continued.

"What do you mean?" Ezra asked confused. Henry lifted him in his arms before sitting on the bed, the younger boy resting in his lap.

"I mean that no more bringing ma over to spend time with mom or talking non-stop about her. Now we proceed covertly." He whispered.

"Which means?"

"Which means that we won't meddle with their relationship anymore, we'll let them do the job by themselves."

"Out with it Hen, I want to go to bed." Colin sighed in frustration causing Henry to chuckle.

"We'll make a dating profile, one for Emma and one for mom, and we'll make sure that they'll only talk to each other but without them knowing that." Henry winked at them.

"It's gonna be tough though. At some point, won't they have to reveal their names to each other? How many Emmas and Reginas do our moms know?" Colin pointed out.

"We'll tell them that this app has a thing for nicknames and people keeping their identity secret. So we make the profiles, we choose nicknames that they won't give them away and we'll let them talk." Henry explained.

"And how do you know that they'll manage to talk for that long?" Colin asked thoughtfully.

"It's ma and mom Colin. Ma will charm mom with her Swan charm and mom with her Mills sarcasm and wittiness. They managed to fall in love once, they'll do it again."

"I hope it works" Colin sighed.

"It will if we believe in this. Now, are you in or not?" He pressed.

"I'm in." Colin nodded.

"Me too!" Ezra chirped.

"Operation Panther is back!" Henry announced and the Mills boys bumped their fists together.

* * *

Τhe next day Regina woke up feeling better than she did last night. She certainly felt a weight on her chest but it could have been worse. Stretching and taking a few deep breaths, she looked at the clock. Seeing the time she realized it was time to start her day.

After her morning ritual and getting dressed for the day with a simple black dress, a grey blazer and black high-heeled boots, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast. To her surprise, her sons had already woken up and they were making breakfast instead. The boys hadn't noticed her yet so she stood in the door frame watching them fondly. Henry was making the pancakes, Colin was cutting some fresh fruits and Ezra was squeezing some oranges to make juice. They were working in perfect sync, teasing each other every now and then but in a cute way. Regina took her phone out of the blazer's pocket and snapped a picture. The sound, however, was on and the boys turned to look at her once they realized they weren't alone.

"You and ma are paparazzi." Henry teased, remembering all too well that both their mothers do that a lot.

"Well, if I told your mother or anyone else that you were cooking, they wouldn't believe me so I needed proof." Regina joked as she moved towards the coffee machine, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"I'm sure that we've cooked more times than ma had when you were together." Henry pointed out while flipping a pancake in the air and successfully landing it back in the pan. Regina looked at him impressed.

"That's true. And who taught you how to cook and to do tricks like that?" She asked curiously.

"Grandpa David taught me once." He shrugged, placing some pancakes on a plate and handing them to Regina.

"I can't believe the whole Swan clan can cook except for Emma. She's in for some serious teasing."

"Hey, she can cook." Henry defended jokingly.

"Eating the ingredients while someone else is cooking, is not cooking." Regina deadpanned.

"Well, let's just agree that you haven't fallen in love with her for her awesome cooking skills." Henry grinned and Regina tried not to react to his comment.

"Anyway, do you mind if me and the boys drop by Granny's after school?" Henry asked and then elaborated.

"I have a project and Belle can help me with the bibliography. Plus we haven't seen them in ages."

"And Granny's milkshake is awesome" Ezra added with a beam, earning a chuckle from Regina.

"Fine, but don't ruin your appetite. We're going to Zelena's for dinner and she won't be happy if you guys are already full."

"Don't worry, I won't let them eat anything. Oh and also Ruby is driving us from school and I'll tell her to drive us to aunt Z too." Henry said, kissing his mother cheek.

"Okay, but don't forget to text me," Regina added and Henry nodded.

When the boys and Regina finished with breakfast and got ready for their day, the brunette drove the three boys to school.

* * *

After school Ruby drove to the school to pick up her three nephews. Once they got in the car and after giving to each one of them a kiss she started the car and the questions.

"So what was this that you guys wanted to talk to me about?" She asked, looking at all three of them through the rearview mirror.

"We need your help," Henry answered.

"If you need my help with your homework buddies I'm afraid you're screwed." She joked.

"No, it's not about school. It's about our moms. We need your help to bring them back together."

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that," Ruby admitted. "What do you want me to do? You know, talking to them, won't help." She pointed out.

"We know and we also tried to meddle by planning family dinners and movie nights but these didn't work either. So we decided to change the course of plans. And also ask for someone's help."

"And what have you thought of doing this time?" She asked curiously.

"Creating a dating profile for each and getting them to talk through this app but without ma knowing it's mom and vice versa," Henry explained.

"How are you going to accomplish that?"

"We'll tell them that in this app you only use nicknames and if you want to find out their real names you'll have to take them out on a date. So we let them talk for some time and when they see they like each other, they go on a date, they find out who is who but by then they will have already fallen in love." Henry said enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry to break it to you pal, but firstly, dating apps don't work like that and even if they do, we can't know if your mothers will fall for each other." Ruby reasoned.

"I know but we have to try aunt Rubes." Henry implored and Ruby sighed.

"Suppose I agree with this, where do I fit in your plan?"

"Well, you'll convince mom to start using it and that this is how the app works because she won't believe us. Mom is easier to handle as she doesn't know much about technology and stuff. Please, Aunt Ruby." Henry begged and his brothers joined him.

"I'll definitely regret this but I'm in. For you guys, to go to such lengths, it means a lot if your mothers end up together or not. So, I'll help you. On one condition though; if this doesn't work out and your mothers blame me, which they will since I'm the only adult, you'll all come to work at Granny's for a month. No exceptions." She narrowed her eyes at Ezra who tried to use his charm but failed.

"Awesome and deal!" Henry exclaimed.

* * *

Later that night Emma and Ruby were laying on Emma's couch as Ruby was explaining to Emma about the new dating profile Ruby had made for her.

"I don't know Rubes" Emma bit her lip. "I don't know if I wanna start dating."

"It's not dating yet, just talking with a beautiful stranger. But you never know Ems. You might find someone worth going on a date for. Plus I already took the initiative and texted someone." Ruby admitted.

"You what? Who?" Emma asked.

"I don't know, as I told you it only has a nickname. But I found her randomly, I liked her bio so I texted her." Ruby shrugged and continued. "I also downloaded the app on your phone."

"Gimme that." Emma grabbed her phone from Ruby's hands and read the other woman's bio.

"The Evil Queen

Mother with a love for Louboutins, puppies and video games"

"Evil Queen? And who am I supposed to be, Snow White?" Emma joked.

"No, you're the Savior; if I were a pastry I'd probably eat myself. Cool mama with a soft spot for "Xena: the Warrior Princess"

"That's ridiculous." Emma laughed "But also true."

"See? It's just for fun." Ruby reasoned. At that moment Emma's phone ringed indicating a new message.

"Oh my god she answered!." Emma exclaimed as she sat up straighter.

"What is she saying?" Ruby asked curiously and a bit amused. She couldn't believe that the boys managed to convince their mother.

**"I can't believe I'm doing this, but hello to you too dear. I am the Evil Queen, apparently,**  *  **roll eyes * "**

"She's funny" Ruby commented. "Answer, you idiot." She nudged Emma, who was staring at her phone.

"What should I write?" She asked panicked.

"Hey, look at me. You have the Swan Charm dammit, you are practically blessed by God. So use that and woo the lady!" Ruby yelled, making Emma start typing.

**"Well, Nice to meet you Queenie, I'm the saviour. (This is even more stupid by the way. You get to be a fairytale character at least!)"**

" **I'm not a Queenie, dear, I am a Queen so, show some respect ;) And you should blame my son and his love for fairytales"**

**"Alright, then your Majesty. And since we both found ourselves in this app, how about telling me a few things about yourself?"**

"So?" Ruby asked.

"Fine, I'm doing it" Emma sighed.

"Awesome!." Ruby said as she got her phone out of her pocket and texted her older nephew;

"We're on!"


	13. Chapter 13

"I swear shortie if you don't leave your cell phone down, I'll snatch it from your hands," Kathryn warned as she entered Regina's office. The past few days Regina was texting non-stop with Emma and she couldn't find herself stopping. She would text her when she was at home, at the clinic and sometimes during dinner; Henry, even though he knew who she was texting to, had to take the phone from her hands so they could all dine together, reminding her the rule about no phones during dinner. She was both embarrassed and proud of him; she had raised them well.

"Sorry" Regina mumbled but she didn't let her phone on the table. Instead, she continued texting, leaving also a snort at one of Emma's jokes making Kathryn roll her eyes.

"Seriously Regina you act like a love-struck teenager" Kathryn teased as she took a seat opposite of her best friend, starting her lunch.

"I know" Regina whined. "But I can't stop! She's amazing.!" Regina sighed, finally dropping her phone on the desk.

"What do we know about her anyway?" Kathryn asked curiously while picking her salad.

"Well, to be honest, I don't know much, but I know that she has a kid, she likes pets and that she has a spot soft for brunettes. Also from what I've gathered, I think she works in the legal department of a company or something like that." Regina replied with a smile and then continued;

"But, even though I don't know much about her, I feel like we've known each other for a long time. She's thoughtful, very smart and really funny. She knows how to make me smile." the brunette smiled at the thought of the other woman.

"What about her name?" Kathryn asked dubiously.

"Well according to this app's rules you have to go on a date with the other person in order to find out his or her name. That's what Henry told me anyway." Regina shrugged unbothered.

"And what if she's a mass murderer or something? Or what if she's a he?"

"I'm pretty sure she's not a he. I can tell. She's so gentle and well, the way she writes is definitely feminine. As for the first comment, I wasn't born yesterday Kat. I don't intend on going on a date with someone I don't know at all, by myself. Which is why, when we make it to that part you are coming with me." Regina grinned at her best friend.

"So she can murder us both." The blonde deadpanned.

"I don't know Regina the whole thing seems very fishy. And I'm trying to be positive because this person makes you smile but I don't want you to get hurt." Kathryn admitted.

"I understand your concerns and I have to admit that in the beginning, I was being reluctant too. But there is something about this woman that makes me want to open up. She's very different from Mal and Emma. She has something intriguing and I want to know her better."

"I can't stop you or tell you to stop texting her but know that; if she hurts you I'm gonna hunt her down and kill her myself" Kathryn warned making Regina laugh.

"Look at you being all mama bear to me! My, my Mrs Nolan if I didn't know any better I'd say you're pregnant" Regina teased making Kathryn throw a piece lettuce on her.

"You are beyond ridiculous Miss Mills." Kathryn shot back and both women erupted into laughter.

* * *

 Emma was at her office pretending to read one of her newest cases; what she was really doing though, was texting on her phone that was placed on her lap. It was one of these moments when she was replying to one of Regina's messages that her father decided to barge into her office, earning a squeal from Emma as her phone fell on the floor.

"Jeez, dad!" Emma cried as she clutched her chest to calm her beating heart.

"Well, if you weren't engrossed in your phone you would have noticed that I knocked twice." He remarked as he closed the door behind him and took a seat on Emma's couch.

"What brings you here, dear ol' dad of mine?" Emma asked as she let her phone on the desk, looking sweetly at her father.

"Certainly not my daughter's sassiness." He sassed too and Emma raised her eyebrow, ready to get back at him but he silenced her with a wave of his hand. "I wanted to know what you and the boys are doing this weekend."

"Henry has a test to study for so he's not coming to stay with me. And since I'll only be with Colin and Bubbah I was thinking of going to the Christmas fair with them. Why?"

"Elsa invited the whole Swan family for dinner, on Saturday. Her family is visiting from Norway and it's about time we did the whole meet the family thing." David explained.

"Oh, I really feel sorry for Nate. He's just as bad as I am when I'm nervous. I'm ninety percent sure that he'll make a fool of himself. I cannot wait to see that." Emma laughed and David chuckled.

"I haven't told you about that but when I met your grandfather, Leo, I was still in college, studying to be a reporter." David began but Emma interrupted him.

"A reporter?" She asked confused.

"I was passionate about journalism. I was the editor of my school's newspaper and I used to cover every event that would happen at the school." He revealed.

"And what did grandpa Robert had to say about that?" Emma asked curiously.

"Well even though he wanted me to become a lawyer like he was, he said that if journalism made me happy then I should follow my dreams. And I did so until I met your grandfather. It was the first time that we did the whole meet the parents thing. So I visited your grandparents' house, and let me tell you I was very nervous as your mom had told me that her father could be a bit harsh from time to time, but I was confident about this. I mean I was in college, I was working at the local newspaper and I was madly in love with your mother. I was sure that her father would approve."

"I gather he didn't?" Emma tilted her head, curious to hear the rest of the story.

"It was going pretty well actually until he asked me what I was studying. I told him about me being a reporter and the smile from his face turned into a frown and then into rage. He told me that he wouldn't sacrifice his precious daughter to someone that couldn't provide her anything she deserves. So he threatened me that if I didn't leave this childish dream he wouldn't let me marry your mother." David admitted.

"And you did it?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Of course I did it. I was young and in love with your mother. I'm pretty sure I'd become the US president if he asked me to." David laughed and then continued. "So I changed my major from journalism to law. It wasn't easy but he pulled a few strings and the next semester I started studying law."

"Wow, dad I didn't know. It must have been hard giving up something you love." Emma said sympathetically.

"I loved your mother more so it wasn't that hard. And eventually, I learned to love this job. I had my father on my side and this made it easier I guess."

"Still, it must have been tough. I don't know if I'd be able to do it." Emma said thoughtfully.

"You want to tell me that if Cora and Henry didn't approve of you, you wouldn't have done anything to change that? Because I have to remind you that you did change for Regina." David pointed out.

"I didn't study law for Regina. Yes, she played a role in all this but so did Henry. I wouldn't want him to grow up and be ashamed of me. I wanted him to be proud. I also love being a lawyer. You always made it seem like a cool job. But well you know after Neal I felt like this was more of your dream than mine."

"You were always the rebel in our family. I admire you for that." David smiled at his daughter.

"You do?" Emma asked, feeling some tears gathering in her eyes.

"Of course I do my Emma. You are this strong woman, always fighting for what you want and never letting anyone bring you down. You are so much like your mother. Yes, we had our ups and downs throughout the years and you made some choices that I wasn't okay with but I never stopped believing in you."

"I thought...I thought that when I got pregnant with Henry that you were mad at me." Emma confessed, the tears running now freely down her eyes.

"I was but not at you. I was mad because this scam, Neal, took advantage of you. I mean you were only eighteen Emma and he was what? Twenty-five. He also seemed like the kind of person that he'd bailed out when things would have gone down. But I was never mad at you. On the contrary, when you decided to raise Henry all alone, without any financial help from me and your mother, I've never felt prouder of you. It was this moment that I knew you weren't my little girl anymore. You were a woman able to conquer the world. Which is why I wasn't surprised when you applied for law school a few years later. I knew you could do this because you were born for this. You were born to be a queen my dear Emma. And I want you to know that no matter how your life had turned out to be, a lawyer or not, with Regina and the kids or without them I'd still be your number one fan." David said some tears running down his face too.

"Oh, dad!." Emma said as she ran to hug her father, who hugged her back tightly.

"I love you, Emma," David said, kissing his daughter temple.

"I love you too daddy."

* * *

 After her father left the office, Emma took a few minutes to calm herself. She and her father, since puberty hit her, had always a rocky relationship. As David had described her, Emma was a rebel and she would always go against his will, and as a result, friction would form between them. So him telling her that he was proud of her, it was the only thing she could ask for. Also, with this talk, she was one hundred percent sure that he has forgiven her for whatever happened with Regina and her affair with Jane that had led to their divorce. Smiling to herself she plopped to her chair and was ready to finally start with this new case when the door knocked again. Confused as to who may be this time, she granted permission to the person outside. To her surprise, the door opened to reveal her ex-wife.

"Regina?" Emma asked confused.

"Hello dear, how are you?" Regina inquired as she approached the other woman, hugging her and giving her a kiss on each cheek.

"I'm good but a bit confused, to be honest. I wasn't expecting you. Have a seat." Emma prompted and Regina complied. Emma took a seat in her chair too, waiting for the other woman to speak.

"The reason I visited you today was..well, there are two reasons but I'll start with the easier one." Regina began and Emma nodded.

"I want some legal advice," Regina said calmly.

"Oh?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"One of our clients threatens to sue us because we refuse to operate on his dog," Regina explained.

"Is it a simple operation? I mean is it one that can be performed at your clinic or does it need to be performed by a specialist?" Emma asked.

"It's a simple one, Kathryn and I can do it by ourselves but his dog is old and there are risks such as not making it during the operation or not recovering from it. So we suggested his dog take some pills, to minimize the pain and make peace of what is going to happen eventually." Regina said.

"And how exactly did he respond to that?"

"He said that he will sue us because we are unprofessional or something like that. The thing is, we don't even want him to reach at this point as it will not be a good publicity for our clinic. So I reached to you in order to advise me of what to do to make him change his mind."

"Well you either talk to him again and firmly tell him of the risks and if that doesn't work either, propose that his and your lawyer have a talk, but without making it to the court of course, as this would be bad for both sides. You can't afford the bad publicity and he can't afford to pay." Emma explained.

"So, you tell me that if we made it to court he could lose the case?"

"There is a big chance that yes we would win this. You handled this well. If you had performed the surgery and there have been complications resulting in his dog not making it, he could again, judging by his character, sue you. And then probably he would win. So my advice is, talk to him first and then if he doesn't get it, bring me in the game." Emma concluded, sitting back in her chair.

"It sounds reasonable enough." Regina agreed. "Thank you for your help, Emma. Because of a client that can't come to the realization that his dog is too old, I didn't want to risk the clinic's good name. Kathryn and I have worked hard to make it as it is."

"I know and I wouldn't want that too. So as long as you remain calm and use strong points you have nothing to be worried about. Anyway, what else did you want to discuss with me?" Emma continued.

"Ah, yes right." Regina coughed to clear her throat. "Ιs there a list or something like that through which I can find a certain lawyer?" Regina asked.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked perplexed.

"Let's just say that there is an attorney that works in the legal department of a company. Is there any way to find her or his name?" Regina elaborated.

"Well, all lawyers are listed on the bar association list but I don't think it says where each one of them is currently working. If you don't know where they're working it's going to be difficult." Emma admitted. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I mean if someone didn't know your name or where do you work how would they be able to find you?"

"They'd hire a private investigator, I dunno." Emma joked and Regina laughed.

"That would be helpful, wouldn't be? Anyway, thank you for your help, Emma."

"Anytime Gina. Oh before I forget, this weekend, we are doing the meet-Elsa's-parents thing so If you're free dad and Nate said you can come." Emma shrugged.

"And how are you going to introduce me?" Regina smirked.

"As a friend of the groom." Emma teased. "It's not you, they wanna interrogate Regina. Nate is the one who's sitting on the hot seat." Emma grinned.

"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?"Regina shook her head at the blonde's tactics.

"Of course I am!" Emma grinned deviously.

"You're impossible. I'm leaving. Goodbye dear, see you on Friday."

"See you on Friday, Gina!" Emma shouted as Regina left the office.

* * *

 It was Saturday evening and Emma, after stopping by the mansion to pick up Regina and Henry, drove over Elsa's house. Her parents had already arrived, so the Swan-Mills family was the last to arrive. They had also brought along a bottle of wine and Regina's famous apple pie and all of them, dressed to the nines, were waiting outside Elsa's apartment.

"I want you all to be polite, good and don't start picking on each other," Regina said to her boys.

"Regina, they are not five years old cut them some slack." Emma rolled her eyes.

"I'm doing this for your brother dear." Regina reminded her, earning another eye roll. After making sure one more time that her sons looked presentable she knocked the door with her free hand.

The door opened quite fast, revealing the blonde woman dressed in an elegant baby blue, knee lengthed dress.

"Wow, Els, you look amazing," Emma whistled as she hugged the other woman.

"Thank you, Emma, you clean up quite well too." She complimented as she moved to hug Regina and then the boys, letting them, one by one, enter the house.

Emma while going further into the house she noticed her father and mother talking with Anna and who appeared to be Elsa's mother and further away she saw her brother being "cornered" by Elsa's father. Emma smirked at herself. It had begun.

Regina noticed Emma's smirk and whispered in her ear. "If you continue to taunt your brother I'll tell everyone what you did when you meet my parents."

Emma looked at her with wide eyes as Regina winked and nudged her sons towards their grandparents.

"Mom, dad this is Emma Swan, Nate's sister. Emma, these are my parents, Gerda and Alexander White" Elsa introduced the blonde woman to her parents who approached Emma to greet her.

"Nice to meet you, sir, madam." Emma said and then introduced the brunette who was standing next to her."This is Regina Mills, a good friend of Nate's and my ex-wife."

"Nice to meet you." Elsa's parents said kindly before continuing their interrogation with Emma on the hot seat this time.

"So, our daughter said that you're also an attorney." Elsa's father started.

"Yes, sir, I'm a partner at Gold and Swan's law firm," Emma said proudly.

"A partner at such a young age?" Alexander asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I worked hard for this job so Mr Gold and my father deemed me worthy of this position. And I can assure you it was not because of favouritism." Emma joked. He looked solemnly at her making Emma squirm a bit.

"And what about you Miss Mills?" Gerda asked politely.

"I am a veterinarian. I run my own animal clinic with my best friend." Regina replied.

"Look at that, another family business," Alexander commented sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma questioned a bit offended.

"Nothing." Elsa chimed in. "The food is ready, we should all move to the dining room." She prompted but no one moved.

"It means that you Americans don't pursue careers where you need to find a job. Instead, you study what your parents studied once upon a time, so you can have a job waiting for you once you finish school, because of course mom and dad will hire you."

"Excuse me, sir..." Emma began and Regina, as much as everyone else, tried to stop her but it was already late. Emma was on fire.

"If you think that this is how me and my brother got the job, you are clearly ignorant. Both me and Nate wanted to work on a different firm, hell Nate wanted to become a professor at Brown and he did apply for the job. As for me, I worked for a year as a legal advisor on a company. But when the firm where your father works happens to be one of the bests in the city and they offer you a job you can't really decline. And let me tell you, if you think that this was easy, you clearly haven't met Mr Gold. Also, I wasn't always a partner. In fact, the job has been first offered to someone else. And if right now a bigger law firm was to offer me a job, of course, I'd take it. No, offence dad." Emma said, her chest heaving.

"I don't know if you're trying to see how worthy we are of your precious daughter but let me save you from the trouble. Nate is an incredible man. He's hardworking, loyal, he cares for his family and friends and he would do anything for the people he loves. He's also head over heels with your daughter. He's once in a lifetime kind of man and I'm happy to call him my brother." Emma finished her eyes never leaving Alexander's ones.

A few minutes of silence followed. No one dared to speak as they were all waiting for Alexander's reply which came after a while. He turned to Nate saying;

"I like your sister. I'm glad my daughter found a family where its members support and love each other. That's all I wanted for my little Elsa. And you young lady," he said pointing to Emma "you showed me that your family is worthy of ours. So, Nate, Elsa you both have my blessings."

"Mine too" David added. "Elsa, Nate I'm so happy for both of you guys. So, whenever you chose to get married, we'll be by your side."

After that statement, Colin, Ezra and Henry started clapping as the elders were hugging each other.

"No more hugging.!" Elsa implored after a few minutes of exchanging hugs. "It's dinner time" she announced and everyone, except for Emma and Regina followed her to the dining room.

"You're amazing you know that?" Regina said, looking Emma with adoration.

"Me? Nah, I just showed this guy what means when you're trying to pick a fight with a Swan." Emma smiled at Regina who smiled back.

"You, Emma Swan will be the death of me." Regina shook her head, before dragging Emma towards the dining room.


	14. Chapter 14

It was Saturday evening and Regina was laying on the couch trying to soothe a throbbing headache. Emma had left for a business trip, a couple of days ago and she wouldn't be back until Sunday evening. Thus, the boys stayed with her, something that she didn't mind up until now that they started fighting. Henry had been cranky all day because he had planned a date with Violet and she had cancelled the last minute so he thought that it would be best if he lashed out on Colin. Regina tried to defend her younger son but Colin, as a true Swan, didn't let Regina take part on this and threw himself on Henry. Then, Ezra tired of his brothers fighting, threw two cushions at them but that didn't help at all. And now all three of them were shouting at each other.

"Okay, that's enough" Regina yelled, catching their attention. "I want each one of you to go to your bedroom and you won't come out until dinner is ready." She announced in her best mom voice.

"That's stupid. What are we eight?" Colin sassed earning a raised eyebrow from Regina.

"I'm not going to my bedroom," Ezra stated and in order to make his point he sat down on the floor, with his arm crossed.

"Don't make me call your mother," Regina warned.

"Emma's away, she can't really do anything." Henry shrugged and sat on the floor, mimicking his younger brother.

"It's not our problem if Violet got bored of Henry, anyway," Colin remarked, provoking his brother.

"And it's not my problem you're the middle kid and no one pays attention to you." Henry spat, knowing that he went too far, but he wasn't ready to back down.

"You crossed the line, all of you," Regina said with a raised voice.

"Now, Henry, go to the kitchen, Colin, come with me and Ezra stay here," Regina commanded but of course the boys wouldn't make it easy for her.

"I wanna go to the kitchen," Colin whined and Regina rolled her eyes. She really hated Emma at this moment.

"Do as I say. All of you." Regina said in a voice that left no room for discussion. The boys, knowing that they had pissed off their mother, complied.

Αfter making some calls, Regina summoned all her sons back in the living room.

"Alright, I talked to your grandparents and Graham and we decided that one of you will stay at grandma Cora's house, one of you at Mary Margaret's and one of you at Graham's.

"I wanna go to Nate's" Colin demanded.

"He's out of town, with your mother, baby. The only available choices we have, given the short notice I gave them, are these three. And since I know that sending all three of you to the same house will not help, grandma Cora thought it would be best if you stayed at separated houses tonight. So, in this bowl, I have the three options and each one of you will pick a piece of paper. Ezra, would you like to start?" Regina asked rhetorically before letting the bowl in front of him. Ezra, after ruffling them a bit, picked a piece of paper.

"Grandpa David's" he announced, pumping his fist in the air. Colin made a huff, but he didn't complain. He wanted to go to Mary Margaret's house as she was the only one out of the whole family to spoil them the most.

"Colin, your turn," Regina informed, passing him the bowl. "Ezra go upstairs to get ready." She ordered her youngest son who simply nodded before leaving the room.

"Grandma Cora's," The boy said, not as enthusiastically as his other brother, but he was still happy.

"So that leaves me with Graham." Henry mumbled but when Colin left the room he gave his mother a big smile before saying "Awesome!"

"I thought you didn't want to stay with Graham's?" Regina asked confused.

"Are you kidding me? Graham has a home cinema, hundreds of video games and three different game consoles. Plus Ana cooks amazing, so if she's there she'll definitely cook something for me. And if not, Graham will order pizza, so I guess I win." He grinned in triumph.

"Don't tell Colin." Regina only told him, before going upstairs to help her sons.

* * *

An hour later, Regina was again on the couch, with no headache this time and a glass of wine by her side, while flicking through different channels absentmindedly. This was one of the few weekends that the boys stayed with her and of course, they had to ruin it. Sighing, she grabbed her phone, where she found one new message from the mysterious woman that had stolen her heart.

" **Hey beautiful, how are you?"**

Regina's whole face cracked into a big smile before typing;

" **Hello dear, I am fine, what about you?"**

The response from the other woman came quickly, making Regina's stomach flutter. Even though the other woman was at a very important meeting, she still found some time to text to Regina.

**"Stuck at work :/ You know how these big ass meetings are; neither sides back down so they keep us, the sweet innocent lawyers, trapped in a meeting room."**

**"I can imagine, dear. But don't worry, my evening was no better. My sons decided that they should give me a hard time today, so for over an hour they were arguing about something that I can't even remember now."**

**"Oh, that must have been tough. Kids can be really cranky when you don't do things their way. I've learned that the hard way."**

**"I know but my boys seem to pick up a fight for the most stupid reasons. It's like they're doing it on purpose. Anyway, I don't really want to discuss this. I'm supposed to have a quiet evening in, all by myself."** Regina admitted.

" **Τ** **hat sounds wonderful. I wish I was at home too, with a bottle of wine and/or some good company ;)"**

**"My, my does the 'Savior' prefer an evening at home with the 'Evil Queen'?"**

**"I wouldn't say no to that ;)"**

**"Me either dear. But I feel that right now, you really have to focus on the meeting. I don't want to be the reason you agreed with something that you shouldn't"**

**"And I feel like the 'Evil Queen' is trying to get rid of me."** Emma teased.

" **Never"**

" **Oh, so you do like my company."**

**"I never said that I don't. But you should get back at work. When you finish later, you can text me. I'm not going anywhere, anyway."**

**"Fine * pouts *. I'll text you when I finish this meeting."**

Regina saw the last message and she was about to place her phone on the table when a second message followed the first one.

**"And for the record, I really do enjoy talking to you, too."**

Τhe saviour clearly had her ways, Regina thought in amusement before deciding that the best way to spend her evening would be by watching a movie, something that was not Disney or Marvel for once. Staying home alone had its perks.

* * *

The movie was playing for a little less than an hour and Regina was curled comfortably in the couch, along with her favourite blanket, which Emma had picked for her last Christmas, a glass of wine and some popcorns. So when she heard the doorbell ringing she was beyond confused. She couldn't remember making plans with anyone. Frowning, she paused the movie and headed towards the front door. Before doing so she checked herself in the mirror that was hanging in the living room in order to look somewhat presentable. Deeming that she was indeed looking good, she opened the door coming face to face with Belle, Ruby, Kathryn and Zelena.

"What are you doing here?" She asked all four of them before looking at her sister.

"Weren't you supposed to be out of town?"

"Come one shortie get dressed, it's girls' night," Kathryn urged as she entered the house also passing by Regina, who was just staring at them. When all of them were inside and after taking a few moments to process what happened, she closed the door and turned to face them.

"What are you talking about?" She asked confused.

"You, me, Belle, Rubes and your sister are going out for some drinks." She replied as if it were obvious.

"I am watching a movie." Regina simply said before moving towards the living room, to make her point.

"The Notebook? Seriously?" Ruby snorted earning a glare from Regina.

"First of all, there is nothing wrong with this movie and secondly, I'm not going anywhere." She announced, reclaiming her seat on the couch.

"Yes, you are, sister. I told mom that I was out of town so we can have this night out all of us together. Didn't you miss your sister?" She batted her eyelashes innocently at her younger sister.

"That's called emotional manipulation." She said, narrowing her eyes at Zelena.

"I don't care how it's called you're coming with us." She declared, dragging Regina to her feet.

"I just want a quiet evening in." She whined and Kathryn tried to bite back a laugh. She failed.

"Okay then, we'll all stay in, watch more ridiculous movies, order Chinese and drink these expensive wines of yours. It won't be our fault though if we spill said wine on your white carpet or if Ruby accidentally throws her food on the floor." Kathryn said as she stepped off her heels and claimed a seat on the couch, opposite to Regina.

"I hate all of you. I'm going to get dressed." She huffed before going upstairs.

"You have half an hour lady; After that, I'm coming to get you!" Ruby warned and Regina flipped her off making the red-haired laugh.

"Emma finally started rubbing off on her." She commented before sitting on the couch waiting for the other woman to get ready.

Twenty-eight minutes later Regina was coming down the stairs wearing a black dress that was hugging her body in all the right places, black stay-ups and her killer black pumps. Her hair was coiffured and she had also applied heavy make up.

"Well look at you." Kathryn complimented her as Ruby whistled, also giving her thumbs up.

"You do know that I'm only doing this because my house is off limits." She teased as she wore her black coat.

"Yes Regina, we understand that you are a clean freak and you want your house to be pristine." Her sister sassed, making Regina stick her tongue out at her.

"Anyway, who's driving? Don't expect me to go out and stay sober." She pointed out.

"We got you, girl," Kathryn said. "Since I can't drink, I'm the one who's driving." She explained.

"And I have already called dibs on the passenger seat," Ruby added.

"We should plan a playdate for our wives since they're both kids," Regina addressed Belle, making the petite brunette laugh.

"You're just bitter I called dibs, but if you're a good girl Regina I may let you sit there when we come back home." Ruby patted Regina's hair earning another glare from Regina.

"You're insufferable Mrs Lucas, no wonder why you and Emma are best friends. Now come on, let's go to drink.!" She prompted as they all left Regina's house.

* * *

"So how is it going with you and your mystery friend?" Kathryn asked once all women were seated at one of Boston's best restaurants. Initially Ruby had suggested a bar or something more fun, but given that Kathryn was pregnant and none of them was in a mood of sitting on uncomfortable chairs while trying to talk through loud music, they opted for something quieter and preferably with food. So, here they were, ordering some non-alcoholic drinks as they were trying to catch up on each other's news.

"We were talking earlier. Not for long though as she had an important meeting to attend. The fact though, that she did find some time to text was much appreciated." Regina smiled at the memory of the first text that the other woman sent her today.

"She seems very nice," Ruby commented, trying to hide her smirk.

"She is amazing and to be honest I cannot wait to meet her. I'm pretty sure that if we meet we will hit it off immediately. She gives me that kind of vibes when we're talking." She admitted.

"But I told her that she shouldn't get her hopes high," Kathryn added and at everyone's confused look she explained. "Well, I don't know, but this dating app and the way it operates seems fishy."

"It is totally legit though" Ruby rushed to defend. "I mean, from what Regina had said about her, she seems very nice person and if Regina feels like they could be friends or something then it can totally happen." She shrugged.

"I didn't know you were the optimistic type." Kathryn teased Ruby.

"I'm not, but if this woman makes Regina happy and Regina feels comfortable with her then she should try for a date. She has nothing to lose."

"We don't even know if she's a woman" Kathryn reasoned.

"She is," Ruby replied quickly making Kathryn narrow her eyes in suspicion.

"Belle, sweetheart would you mind if I borrow your wife for a second?" Kathryn asked, smiling at the other woman.

"She's all yours," Belle replied before going back to her conversation with Zelena. Kathryn, without hesitating, took Ruby's hand and dragged her towards the bathroom. After closing the door behind her and trapping the tall brunette so she couldn't escape, Kathryn started firing her with questions.

"What do you know?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked innocently, avoiding to meet Kathryn's eyes.

"Don't play coy with me, you try to push Regina into meeting this mysterious woman and keep telling her that everything is going to be okay. I don't know but it does seem to me like you know the other woman." Kathryn pointed out.

"Don't be ridiculous Kat, I just believe that something good might come from this." She tried to shrug it off, but Kathryn was having none of it.

"With who is Regina talking Lucas?" Kathryn asked more firmly this time, earning a sigh from the brunette woman.

"With Emma. The mysterious woman Regina is texting is Emma." Ruby revealed.

"Oh my god!" Kathryn's mouth shaped into a big "o" and Ruby couldn't help but laugh.

"I know it's crazy and when they find out that they were talking to each other the whole time, they're going to kill us but I think it's worth it."

"Us?" Kathryn asked confused.

"Me and the boys. Especially Henry. It was his idea. Long story short, one day he and the other two ambushed me with their big puppy dog eyes, telling me how much they want to see their mothers together. And I couldn't say no because I do believe that these two belong together. So we made them profiles on this dating app and we made sure that they will talk to each other." Ruby explained.

"So that's why all these stupid rules about nicknames and no photo policy."

"Exactly. If they knew they were talking to each other they would have stopped immediately. So we came up with these ridiculous rules, Henry convinced Regina and I Emma and the rest is history."

"But what if Regina and Emma didn't get along and tried with other people? What if they do try behind your back?" Kathryn countered.

"First of all, we're talking about Emma and Regina. Of course, they get along. They are magnets pulling each other. And secondly, we checked their phones. They only talk to each other. But if that hadn't worked I'm sure Henry would have thought of something. I mean that kid is genius and I'm not saying this because I'm his godmother but because it's true." Regina said with pride in her voice.

"I agree, this boy can be really creative when he wants to. But damn, Ruby. When Regina and Emma have the date and put the pieces together they are gonna kill you and only you because you're an adult and because you agreed to this." Kathryn said sympathetically.

"Do you think I don't know it? I know that they are going to be hella pissed at me but if this means that they'll end up together then this is a price I'm willing to pay. The boys need both their mothers. I'm doing it for them." She admitted and then continued "Please don't tell Regina anything. Let them have the date and if Regina confronts you about it tell her it was all my idea." Ruby implored.

"I'm not going to tell anyone but if this gets out of control, I'm selling you out," Kathryn warned and Ruby laughed at her.

"Deal."

"Who other knows about this?" Kathryn asked as she applied a bit of a makeup, looking at Ruby through the mirror.

"Ugh just me, the boys, you and Belle," Ruby answered.

"I cannot believe Belle let you do this." Kathryn chuckled.

"When I told her, they had already started talking. Besides, I have my way with Belle" Ruby said winking at Kathryn.

"You are gross. Now, come on let's go outside before your wife sends a search party." Kathryn joked earning a laugh from Ruby.

Going back to their table, Ruby kissed her wife's forehead before sitting next to her, as Kathryn reclaimed her seat next to Regina.

"What took you so long?" Regina asked curiously.

"I was trying to seduce Mrs Lucas but it seems she only has eyes for this beautiful lady." Kathryn joked winking at Belle who laughed.

"That's my baby," Belle said teasingly patting Ruby's thigh.

"Seriously though, what were you doing in there?" Zelena asked curiously, already in a mood to gossip.

"That's a secret between former maids of honour," Ruby said, trying to end the discussion.

"Will you tell me later?" Belle whispered into her wife's ear.

"You already know," Ruby reassured and then turned to the other women.

"Anyway...listen what happened the other day at the diner..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So before you start reading the chapter; You may notice that the events in this one will seem somewhat rushed. I know, but if you want to further explain to you why I did what I did and why everything's happening so fast, leave a non-anonymous review and I'll be happy to tell you! I won't be answering to rude comments, though!
> 
> Enjoy the story!

Another weekend had come and Regina was getting ready for her date with the mysterious woman, who, even though she didn't want to admit it, had stolen her heart. During the last few months that they were texting, Regina had felt alive. She hadn't felt like this ever since she had met Emma and that said a lot. Sure Mal had played a major role too but this woman had made her feel things she thought she'd never feel again. And that's why, when the other woman suggested they meet, Regina didn't hesitate to say yes. Smiling, she reached for her phone, watching once again the messages that led them to that date;

* * *

_Regina was in her home study doing some paperwork for the clinic. It was Monday evening and her brother had offered to drive the boys to their respective practices, giving some time alone to Regina, something that she was grateful for. It has been over an hour since the boys had left and Regina had managed to complete most of the paperwork, so she believed that a break was required. Leaving the pen and her reading glasses on the desk, she unlocked her phone where she found two new messages from "the Savior". Smiling to herself, she opened the app to read the texts._

" _ **Hello, my Queen"**_

_**"What are you doing on this beautiful day?"** _

" _ **Hello, Savior ;)"**_ _Regina responded._

_**"I'm just doing some paperwork. I have pushed it aside for over a month and my colleague will yell at me and she will be right to do so. What about you?"** _

" _ **Eh, I'm playing some video games. Not much to do, apparently"**_

_**"Your boss would have been very happy to hear that."** _ _She teased._

" _ **Still not much to do. I don't have any new cases lately and the old ones are going to court in two weeks or so. So, it's time for my nerd self to finally come out."**_

" _ **For some reason, I don't find hard to believe that you are a nerd."**_

" _ **Do you say that I give some nerd vibes?"**_

_**"You said it first."** _

_**"I see, the Queen is in the mood for teasing ;). And even though I would love to engage in this, I would also like to discuss something with you."** _

_The tone that the woman used, made Regina feel a bit uneasy. The prologue that the other woman just made could mean a lot of things and a lot of them could be bad news. Did she want to break off whatever was between them? Would she confess that the whole time Regina was being catfished? A lot of thoughts raced through Regina's mind but instead of letting her fears win, she simply and calmly texted back._

_**"I must admit that this change of tone made me a bit nervous but I'll throw caution to the wind and I'll ask what this is about."** _ _She replied nervously._

_**"Oh, no there's nothing to be nervous about. Sorry if that's what you got of this. What I meant to say is that I would like to meet you. Face to face."** _ _She admitted._

_Regina, seeing the new message that popped on her phone, she sighed with relief yet she was a bit anxious. So it was really nothing to worry about. She simply stated something that Regina wanted to say too, but never found the courage to do so. And that's exactly what made her anxious; Was she ready to meet the other woman? What if she was indeed being catfished? What if the mysterious woman was the opposite of who she claimed to be? On the other hand, though, Regina was dying to meet her. Yes, there was a chance that this would end badly, but, if her mother in law was here she would tell her to have hope. So what if they didn't hit it off? She would make a new friend and she would, eventually, try with someone new. She should take that risk. And that's exactly what she did._

_**"I would love to meet you :) In fact, I've been meaning to ask you for quite some time now, but I never had the courage to actually do it."** _

_**"That's...great. To be honest, these few minutes you didn't respond gave me some pause and I was beginning to think that I made a fool of myself so you agreeing to this was a great relief. So about our date (If that's how we want to call it), should we say on Saturday?"** _

" _ **Yes, let's call it a date. I feel that's what it is ;). And Saturday sounds great, dear."**_

_**"Awesome. I know a very fancy restaurant in the centre of Boston, with music and stuff. I believe it's your style so you'll like it. I'll text you the address within the week."** _

" _ **Brilliant."**_ _Regina replied,_ _ **"So when we meet, how will I know who you are?"**_

_**"That's an excellent question. I guess I'll hold some kind of flower? Or is this totally lame?. I kinda feel it's lame. Please don't laugh at me."** _

" _ **It's not lame dear. On the contrary, I do find it pretty romantic. ;)"**_

" _ **Okay then. Flower it is. Anyway, I must go. I can't wait to meet you on Saturday Queenie ;)"**_

" _ **And I cannot wait to see you too, Savior"**_

_And that's how Regina had arranged a date with her Savior. Of course, they had texted a few messages throughout the rest of the week, mostly saying how they couldn't wait to meet each other but other than that, Regina had refrained from texting the other woman in fear of saying something she shouldn't._

* * *

Reading the messages one more time, she locked her phone and threw it on her bed. She had approximately two hours before her big date and once again she couldn't decide what to wear. Entering the closet she inspected her clothes. Should she go with black, or wear something with more colour? Something revealing or something modest? A maxi dress or a short one? Or should she wear one of her sensible pantsuits? She quickly dismissed the pantsuits idea as Kathryn always said that they give away intimidating vibes. Being, though, in no mood for dresses or skirts, she looked at the very back of her closet, where she found a long-sleeved, black jumpsuit. It has never been her style and that's why she never wore it, but she was feeling rather bold tonight and plus the other woman didn't know how she was usually dressed to judge her for it. Giving it an once over to make sure that it was in a good condition, she lay it on the bed and went to the en-suite bathroom for a quick shower.

Twenty minutes later, Regina emerged for the bathroom, wearing nothing but her silk robe as she was running around the room. She had still plenty of time ahead but she wanted to be ready at least half an hour earlier, in case she couldn't find the restaurant or the boys decided to give her a hard time in the last minute. Finding her body cream she hopped on the bed and with quick but precise moves she applied it on her legs. Wearing black lace panties with a matching bra, she discarded the robe so she could apply the cream to the rest of her body. Finishing with that job, she once again wore the robe and she then grabbed her makeup kit and started doing her makeup. She didn't apply much, as she wanted to appear less intimidating and not scare the other woman away. Her makeup routine though was interrupted by Henry who barged into the room and went straight for the bed. Falling with a dramatic sigh on it, he said.

"Can we order pizza for dinner?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I don't know, can you?" She teased and smirked when she saw her son's expression in the mirror.

"You're not funny mom." He growled as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and made himself more comfortable on the bed.

"Zelena is babysitting you, so she is in charge for dinner. Ask her if you want to order" Regina informed him, as she applied some lip gloss.

"Zelena is in some weird diet or something and she only eats broccoli and vegetables. She'll be really tough to break." Henry whined and Regina smiled; Yeap, he was still her baby.

"Fine, tell her, that I let you order pizza and if she still wants to eat something healthier tell her to eat it in the kitchen so she'll be away from temptation. Anyway, is that all you want?"

"I don't have money to order."

"First drawer in the nightstand. I don't think you'll need more than twenty dollars."

"Colin will ask for ice cream." Henry pointed out.

"I have some in the fridge but don't tell him. He'll finish it in no time. Put two scoops in a bowl and then hide the rest of it."

"Yes ma'am" He teased and at Regina's glare, he gave her his best Swan grin. He then stood up, went next to his mother, gave her a raspberry kiss, earning another death glare from her and then he left the room. At the same time, Regina finished applying her makeup and stood up to wear her black jumpsuit. Even though she had owned it for a few years now, it hugged her body in all the right places without being tight or uncomfortable. Stepping into her favourite black pumps, Regina decided not to tamper with her hair, letting them in their natural curly style and after picking up her purse, her cell phone and some cash, she left the bedroom.

Climbing down the stairs, Regina entered the living room where she was met with her three sons, who were playing some kind of board game, and her sister. She coughed to gain their attention and immediately four pairs of eyes turned to look at the source of the noise.

"Wow, looking hot mama." Her sister whistled, earning an eye roll from the brunette.

"You look gorgeous, mama" Her middle son complimented her. As a response, Regina approached him and gave him a kiss on his forehead. She then kissed Ezra, living Henry last.

"Are you nervous?" Zelena asked.

"I can't even describe how nervous I am," Regina replied, giving a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry mom, everything will be okay. I bet, this woman will be perfect for you." Henry said with an innocent smile. Regina was too nervous to notice Henry's knowing look to his brothers.

"Alright, fellas." Regina began, trying to diverge from the dating topic. "Henry, since you're the most responsible out of everyone in this room, including your aunt, please don't stay up late tonight. Colin has a tennis game tomorrow and Ezra has planned to meet with his friend for a project. So don't let them stay past ten. As for you, don't stay past eleven, since you have a test to study for Monday. Colin baby, don't eat too much pizza and Ezra, make sure you have everything ready for tomorrow."

"Mom, don't worry, we'll be fine. Now go have some fun. You deserve it." Henry reassured and Regina let a deep sigh.

"Okay, but if anything happens I want you to call-" but she didn't manage to finish the sentence as Henry gave her a look and nudged her lightly towards the door.

"Go." He demanded and Regina nodded. Checking herself one last time at the hall mirror, she grabbed her car keys and left the mansion.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Regina arrived in front of the restaurant. It was one that she hadn't visited before; she had to give it to the other woman though. It was very classy and judging by how many people there were inside, the other woman must have had some sort of connection, in order to find a table there. Stepping out of the car, she gave the car keys to the valet and sighed; It was time.

She entered the restaurant with small, unsure steps, yet it felt like she was running. Each step was bringing her closer to the other woman. However, before she could make another one, a man, dressed in a black suit stopped her.

"I'm sorry ma'am have you made a reservation?" He asked politely.

"Oh," Regina said a bit startled. "A friend of mine is waiting for me." She responded.

"May I have the name, please?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the name. But, she's holding a flower. At least she told me she will so."

"Oh, I see." The man said in realization. "You are Miss Swan's date. Please follow me." He said and he moved farther inside the restaurant, Regina in tow.

"Did you say S-" But she didn't finish her sentence as she came face to face with the blond woman, dressed in a black tuxedo while holding a white lily.

"Emma?"

"Regina?" The two women said simultaneously. The man, seeing that an awkward moment was about to come, left quickly.

"Wait, you're my blind date?" Emma asked dumbfounded

"This is some kind of joke, isn't it?" Regina said looking equally shocked.

"I'm afraid not," Emma replied and then it hit her. "Ruby!" She growled.

"What does Mrs Lucas have to do with it, Swan?" Regina asked a bit angry now.

"She made me send you a message through this app. She knew, somehow, you had one!" Emma said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Henry." Regina simply said and at Emma's confused look she elaborated "This is all Henry's idea."

"How do you know?"

"We're talking about our son Emma. He is the only one that could have pulled this off." Regina explained.

"And Ruby has nothing to do with it?"

"Of course she has. Henry asked her help. He knew that he wouldn't be able to convince you to sign up for this dating app so he recruited Ruby. He's so sneaky" Regina laughed.

"This is why we couldn't tell our names to each other." Emma realized.

"Exactly." Regina said, "If we knew who we were, we wouldn't take part in this charade." Regina huffed and Emma felt a little hurt. Regina noticed this change in Emma's demeanour and rushed to explain "I didn't mean it that way. I liked this mysterious woman, with whom I've been talking these past two months."

"But you don't like me," Emma said in a sad tone.

"That's not what I meant either."

"Then what did you mean?" Emma asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"What I meant is that I'm really mad at Henry and Ruby for pulling this off. And I was nervous about meeting someone new and I know you were feeling the same way too. So, seeing you here, it didn't feel out of place. I was feeling some connection with the woman I met through this app and I kind of knew that it was you. And...I still want to have a date with you, if that's what you want too of course." Regina said shyly and she saw how Emma's face broke into a megawatt smile.

"Well, in that case, and since we've already done the whole restaurant thing countless times, let's try something new," Emma said cryptically and then raised her arm to signal the waiter. When the man approached them again, Emma spoke.

"Something happened and I'm afraid we won't be dining here tonight. Tell your boss that I'm really sorry and that I'll come again some time." Emma said apologetically and the man nodded before leaving them alone.

"You know the owner?" Regina asked surprised.

"It's one of my clients. A woman accused him of being the father of her unborn child. Of course, she knew that the guy was loaded. Turned out it was all a lie and the guy, in order to thank me, said he will always have a table available for me in his restaurant. He didn't lie. I called him yesterday and he managed to find me a table." Emma explained.

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay here?" Regina asked unsurely

"Yes. I want us to try something else. As long as I can remember all of our dates involved restaurants. Let's stop doing that." Emma said and gave her hand to Regina who easily took it.

"Come on let's go," Emma prompted and after retrieving their coats, the two women left the restaurant.

* * *

"So, where are we going?" Regina asked for the umpteenth time. When they exited the restaurant, Emma guided them to her car. At Regina's hesitation of leaving her car behind, Emma promised to come and pick it up tomorrow morning and bringing it to the mansion. Finding acceptable, Regina nodded and when Emma opened the door for her, Regina sat on the passenger's seat. She was trying not to be curious but as she was watching Emma drive farther away from Boston, Regina couldn't help but ask the blonde every five minutes where they were going. Thankfully, Emma was patient enough to reply every single time with the same response.

"Not telling you."

"Are we at least close?"

"Yes." She replied.

True to her words, ten minutes later, Emma stopped her car in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but where the hell are we?" Regina asked confused.

"Be patient, love," Emma winked at her. "Now stay here," Emma ordered and exited the car to bring something from the trunk. After doing so, she joined Regina again in the car.

"If you are planning to kill me, dear, you must know that everyone knows I'm on a date. I also have a tracker on my phone." Regina said jokingly.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have chosen a less romantic setting."

"You call an empty, dark parking lot romantic?" Regina teased and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Close your eyes and wait," Emma said and seeing that Regina wasn't complying, she sighed.

"I'm not gonna kill you, Regina. Trust me." Regina gave her a side-eyed glance but she closed her eyes anyway. A few moments had passed and Regina was ready to complain when she felt light coming from the front of the car. Opening her eyes she saw a huge screen across the parking lot and a movie started playing.

"You brought me to a drive-in?" Regina asked amazed.

"Yeap," Emma responded, trying to gauge Regina's reaction.

"When did you manage to do all this? I was with you the whole time." Regina asked confused.

"Not all the time" She winked at Regina who gasped in realization.

"You liar! You didn't go to the bathroom!." She said accusingly.

"I know." Emma grinned. "An old friend of dad owns the place and I pulled some strings telling him how I wanted to impress my girlfriend and I didn't know how. He told me to bring you there and he'll have a private screening just for the two of us." Emma shrugged.

"You're unbelievable Miss Swan." Regina chuckled and then continued "What are we watching?"

"It's kind of cliché but I asked for Lady and the Tramp," Emma said unsurely and Regina smiled back at her.

"It's perfect," Regina reassured and moved closer to Emma.

"Hug me?" Regina asked timidly and Emma raised her arm to let Regina nest at her side.

"So, better than a fancy restaurant?" Emma asked

"Much better dear, much better." 


	16. Chapter 16

Once the movie ended, Regina stayed in Emma's embrace for a bit longer. If she was honest with herself, she liked the warmth that Emma's body produced, even though, the night was warm enough too. Plus, the other woman hadn't made a move to retract her arm, so Regina didn't rush to leave from Emma's one-armed hug. She also needed some time to organize her thoughts. She thought about the blonde and all this time they were talking together. Truth be told, some part of her knew that she somehow knew the mysterious woman. She felt so at ease with her, sharing a lot of things about herself without hesitating. And that was why when she saw Emma entering the restaurant, felt so normal. However, her thoughts took an unpleasant turn; was she ready to try with Emma again? And what if history repeated itself? Was she ready for another breakup? She shook her head to clear her mind from them, the move though, alerted Emma.

"What is it?" Emma asked concerned.

"Nothing dear" Regina lied, as she finally left Emma's warm side, sitting better in the passenger seat and avoiding the blonde's curious eyes.

"You know that I know when you're lying. So, please tell me; what is bothering you?" Emma asked again.

Regina thought about lying again or deflecting with a question of her own but she decided to go with the truth. If she indeed wanted to restart with Emma, she shouldn't make this start with lies.

"I'm thinking about where this date leaves us" Regina admitted, turning her eyes to meet Emma's.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked confused.

"I mean, assuming that this date ends on good terms and not like the last one, what are we going to do?"

"Well, we could go on another date if you're up to it." Emma shrugged. "And if that one goes well too, we can go on a third one. "

"And what about after all these dates?"

"Then, we improvise. Come on, Regina this is not the first time we've done this. We've dated before, we've been in a relationship before and we've also been married before. To one another, I may add." Emma pointed out.

"You've also cheated before which led to our divorce," Regina said a bit harshly but seeing the hurt in Emma's eyes she quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just...afraid. Afraid of being hurt broken again." Regina admitted, averting her eyes towards the window.

"Regina, it was a simple date. I didn't ask your hand in marriage. What I mean is, we don't have to rush into things. And of course, we don't have to marry again. I don't want us to marry again." Emma confessed.

"Oh?" Reginas said confused, turning to look at her ex-wife.

"I'm not saying that I don't want to marry you. All I'm saying is that I don't care if we are married, engaged or simple dating, as long as we are together; you, me and our sons." Emma smiled at the brunette.

"So. We're taking things slow?" Regina asked.

"Yes, we're taking things slow. And that means, that after our date, I'm taking you home, I'm kissing your cheek and I'm leaving. No funny business. It also means that we're not saying anything to the boys for a while in order to be sure that this is what we want." Emma explained.

"I don't know if I'll be able to hide that from them. Plus, they know we went on a date together, tonight."

"So we lie. And before you say anything, they lied and they meddled with our lives too. So we say that our date didn't go well. And when or if we see that we can do this again; we tell them."

"Sounds reasonable." Regina agreed. "But we also need to talk to them about what they pulled off and also punish them. So, I would appreciate if you would come tomorrow for breakfast at our house." She proposed.

"I would love to. And you are right. We need to make them stop trying to get us back together."

"Perfect." Regina smiled earning a grin from the other woman.

"So, Miss Mills, ready to take you home?" Emma asked as she started the engine.

"Yes, Miss Swan, I'm ready," Regina said and the two women left the drive-in.

* * *

The next morning, Regina woke up earlier than usual. As soon as she opened her eyes, memories of the previous night rushed through her mind, putting a smile on her face. Emma had changed a lot the past couple of years, she couldn't deny that. She had become more thoughtful and she did anything to spend as much more time with their sons as she could. She also never gave up on her or her promise to win her back, even when she was dating Mal. That showed determination and how much Emma loved her. Whatever hesitation she might have had from last night, vanished immediately. She was ready to date Emma..and then improvise with her. With that thought in mind, she got up from the bed to start with her morning routine.

When Regina finished with her shower, she entered her room in order to decide what to wear, since Emma would visit them for breakfast. She didn't want to look like she put much effort to it, as the boys may suspect something, so she opted for a pair of black fitted jeans, a grey t-shirt with a black vest and her favourite black boots. She also wore her hair in a ponytail and after applying the minimum amount of makeup -eyeliner and some concealer- she left the room, with her next stop being the kitchen to start with breakfast preparations.

Twenty minutes later Regina heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen. Turning around, she came face to face with Henry who hugged her from behind tightly and also kissing her right cheek.  _Sneaky_  Regina thought as she decided to play along with her son's display of affection towards her.

"Good morning prince, to what do I owe this morning affection?" She asked teasingly while Henry continued hugging her. He had grown so much; from that tiny chubby baby who had stolen her heart almost fourteen years ago to that fine young man Henry was growing to be, Regina couldn't be prouder of him. She and Emma had raised them well.

"Well, you are my mom and I love you." He said, before kissing her one last time and walking away so he could take his seat on the table.

"Is that all?" Regina asked innocently.

"Of course mom," Henry replied equally innocently. He was good, Regina had to give him that.

"If this is about me letting you go out this evening the answer is no. You have a test tomorrow." Regina reminded him.

"I know but that's not the reason I hugged you. As I said I love you." He gave her his best Swan grin, the one that could melt anyone's heart. She wanted to continue with the interrogation but the moment between them was interrupted by her firstborn, Colin, who marched into the kitchen dressed in his tennis uniform, his shoelaces untied as he was making his hair, which was in a desperate need for a cut, in a small bun.

"You need a haircut," Regina observed, seeing her son straggling with the band.

"I will cut it when Henry finds a girlfriend." The boy retorted, earning an eye roll from his mother.

"Mom, he doesn't need a haircut, he needs a new brain." Henry sassed.

"Ah, another peaceful Sunday morning," Regina quipped, giving a fake smile to her boys, who immediately stopped.

"Are you ready for your game, baby?" Regina asked as she put some pancakes on a plate, serving them to her sons.

"I'm a little nervous" The boy admitted. "It's my first time taking part in the league and I'm afraid I'll mess it up"

"Well, if you were indeed to mess it up, your coach wouldn't let you participate, darling. Everything's going to be okay." Regina reassured him, kissing the top of his head. "Anyway, I'm going to wake up Bubbah. Don't eat all the pancakes." She said mostly to Colin, before exiting the room. As soon as Regina left, the boys turned to each other.

"Mom didn't say anything about last night's date," Henry informed his brother.

"At all?" The boy whispered.

"No." Henry sighed. "She didn't chide me or made a comment at all. Also, she has a pretty good poker face, so I can't say if it went well or not."

"Okay, we'll wait till Bubbah join us at the table and then we'll ask her. She won't be very angry with us if he's here." Colin pointed out and Henry grinned mischievously.

"That's why we're brothers," Henry commented, ruffling Colin's hair. "And mom's right dude, you need a haircut." He added, earning a glare from him. It was this moment that the bell rang.

"Who's that early?" Henry asked confused, before standing up and going towards the door. He was pretty surprised when he found his other mother standing on their front porch, a box of doughnuts in her arms.

"Ma!" Henry exclaimed, before hugging his mother.

"Good morning kiddo," Emma said while hugging her son back.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he let his mother enter the household.

"Can't I join my sons for breakfast?" She asked rhetorically, scanning the room for the other woman.

"Well, you haven't in years so." He shrugged.

"Your mom invited me. Plus, it's Sunday and we always have breakfast together on Sundays." Emma explained, following her son in the kitchen. Colin, upon seeing his mother entering the kitchen, ran at full speed to hug her.

"Mama!" The boy shouted, kissing her on both cheeks.

"Wow, you're never too happy to see me, when you wake up at my apartment." Emma joked.

"It's because we'll be all together." The boy explained and dragged Emma towards the table. "What do you wanna eat? We have pancakes, cereals, coffee and the doughnuts you brought."

"A cup of coffee would be great," Emma said and then added. "Also, where's your mother?" But her question was answered by the said woman.

"I'm right here darling. Someone had a hard time waking up." Regina answered as she pointed to Ezra who was following her silently inside the room.

"Hey, big boy" Emma said, leaving her mug on the table so she could hug the boy. Upon hearing Emma's voice, the boy instantly woke up, running towards her.

"Mama." He uttered before kissing her cheeks repeatedly. Emma, lift him up so he could sit better on her lap and after that, she started sipping her coffee again. Regina had also joined them on the table and all the family members were eating peacefully their breakfast.

"So about last night..." Regina began, without looking at any of the other occupants of the table. Instead, she was methodically spreading butter at a slice of toast, waiting for one of them to speak.

"How was your date?" Colin asked innocently and as a response, he received a raised eyebrow from his mother.

"How many of you were involved in this?" Regina asked, leaving the slice on her plate, now fully looking at all of them.

"Mom, I'm sorry for lying to you, to both of you, but it was the only way to get you to try again." Henry intervened by apologizing.

"And you thought that lying to us was the best choice? What were you thinking Henry? I thought I raised you better than that." Regina said disappointedly.

"Don't blame Henry, we also took part in this." Colin said, bowing his head and then quickly adding "And no he didn't make us do this, we wanted it too. We wanted for all of us to be a family again."

"What you did was wrong, kid" Emma interjected.

"We know," Colin sighed. "But it was the only way. Plus mom, all these months that you two were talking, was really happy. Much happier than when she was dating Mal." Colin revealed.

"Colin" Regina warned, her cheeks turning pink.

"You're blushing. That means we're right!" Colin pushed.

"Colin," Emma said this time. "That is not the point right now. The point is that you all meddled with mine and your mother's life without asking. And you also dragged Ruby into this."

"Look, moms, we are really sorry. But I don't regret it. I want you two together." He confessed. Emma's heart broke at this point and by Regina's face, she could tell she was feeling the same.

"Henry, we are not pointing fingers here and I'm not saying that you did this without the best intentions at heart. What we are saying is that what you did was wrong. What if me or your mom was expecting a whole different person? How that would have made us feel?" Regina said.

"I just thought that if you two got to know each other again maybe you'd fall in love like you did once. I didn't think of the consequences." He admitted, bowing his head.

"I know you didn't and that's why we're having this talk right now." Emma soothed.

"Are you going to tell us how the date went?" Ezra, with his big puppy eyes, asked.

"Someone's curious, isn't he?" Emma winked at him while tickling his belly, making the boy laugh.

"And to answer your question, me and your mother realized that this date didn't change anything between us." Regina lied, with her poker face still on.

"What do you mean?" Colin asked rather hopefully.

"It means that we are not ready to date each other baby boy," Emma admitted, and she hated herself when she saw her sons' faces fall.

"Oh," Colin said, playing with his food.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Emma apologized, ruffling his head.

"And now for your punishment," Regina began, earning a groan from her sons.

"Did you really think that I'd let you get away with this?" Regina asked, raising an eyebrow at them.

"Well...yes." Henry shrugged.

"Too bad," Regina said dryly. "And to get this over with, no video games for a week. That goes for all of you. Emma will punish you individually."

"Henry, no going out with your friends for two weeks, Colin, no treats for two weeks and Bubbah no walks at the park with Ashley and Alexandra for a week." Emma finished, seeing the sad expressions on her sons' faces; she tried not to give in though.

"Now, if you finished with your breakfast, I do believe that Colin has a game to attend and Ezra to meet with his friend. Henry I'll drive you to the library to study with Belle."

"But I want to come with you at Colin's game." Henry tried but Regina was set. Seeing that he couldn't change his mother's mind he stood up and went upstairs to get his books.

"Ma, are you coming to the game too?" Colin asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world kiddo." Emma grinned at her son who grinned back at her.

"Okay then, Ezra baby why don't you go upstairs to get dressed?" The boy groaned at this but eventually untangled himself from Emma's lap and went to his room. Colin also left the kitchen to go take his gear, leaving the two women alone.

"They really bought it," Emma said in amusement.

"Indeed." Regina agreed "I was ready to break when I saw their faces but looking at you gave me strength." She smiled at Emma.

"I'm glad I helped you." Emma winked and got back to her food before Regina broke the silence once again.

"Emma.," Regina said with a hoarse uncertain voice, something that gained Emma's attention instantly.

"What is it, Gina? Did you regret last night?" Emma asked nervously, her stomach already in knots.

"On the contrary dear. Last night was amazing. In fact, I want more of these dates." Regina said hopefully.

"So what are you really saying?" She was really afraid to jump to conclusions.

"That I want to date you, Emma Swan." And the smile on Emma's face was enough to make her believe that she did the right choice.

* * *

When the whole family was ready, they left the mansion by taking Emma's car. Their first stop was at the library where Henry got out of the car to meet with Belle. The next stop was at one of Ezra's friend's house. His friend's mother insisted on Regina staying for coffee but she politely declined, not wanting to miss Colin's first game...And Emma's company was a plus. Kissing Ezra on his forehead and telling him to be good, she stepped into the car and the rest of the family drove to the tennis court.

Emma and Regina, after wishing Colin good luck, went to find some seats. Upon doing so, they tried to leave some distance between them so Colin wouldn't suspect anything, in case he looked towards them.

"So..." Emma began

"Yes, dear?" The brunette prompted her.

"Υou want us to date huh?" Emma grinned in a way that she reminded Regina of their sons.

"I think we established that this morning," Regina said as she tried to hide her smile.

"I just want to make sure that this is what you want," Emma admitted.

"It is Emma. I truly believe that we can do this. We can try again. As long as we are honest with each other and if we have a problem, we solve it right away. We won't bottle up our feelings. We are doing this right this time."

"I agree. And since we're being honest with each other, I want to tell you something." Emma admitted

"Oh?" Regina said confused.

"I hated when you dated Mal."

Regina couldn't help but burst into laughter. Yes, she really wanted to be with Emma again.


	17. Chapter 17

As soon as Emma drove the boys back from their weekend together, Henry didn't even bother to hug her or help her with his brothers' overnight bugs. Instead, as soon as Emma parked the car, Henry exited the vehicle and marched towards the door successfully unlocking it before entering the mansion and disappearing from view. Regina, who was waiting for them at the hall, looked towards him confused before exiting the house to welcome her other two sons.

"Hello, my princes" Regina smiled as she hugged her two sons. "Did you have fun with mama?" She asked as she took Ezra's bag, placing the strap on her shoulder.

"Yes!" Both boys exclaimed happily. "We had so much fun! We went to see the new Star Wars movie and we also had dinner with Nate and Elsa. Elsa is so amazing" Colin sighed dreamily.

"Someone has a crush on the soon to be auntie" Emma joked as she approached Regina and the boys. Regina laughed at Emma's joke but Colin scowled at her, earning a ruffle on his hair by his mother.

"Okay, tell your mother goodbye and go inside. I have drawn a bath for both of you." Regina instructed her sons. Both of them complied with their mother's orders and after hugging Emma goodbye left the front porch and went inside.

"So did they give you a hard time?" Regina asked teasingly as she got closer to Emma, placing a finger on her abdomen.

"No more than usual. I mean Colin did try to convince me to buy him a new video game but I told him I'll talk with you first. And Henry's been really quiet since this morning for some reason." She admitted while rubbing Regina's forearms as the evening was a bit chilly and the brunette was only wearing a thin sweater.

"Yeah, I noticed. What's up with him? Did you guys fight?" Regina asked lightly.

"No, we had a great time last night. And this morning he was cheery but then I left them alone for like an hour or so to study for my next case and when I returned to the living room he was giving me the cold shoulder." Emma said sceptically.

"Do you think he.." Regina began and Emma quickly cut her off.

"No, I don't think so. When I went inside last night, he was fast asleep. I checked on all of them." And Regina sighed.

"I'll try and talk to him," Regina said. "Anyway, I should go inside," She continued but made no move from her spot.

"Yeah, and I need to finish reviewing my case," Emma said but she didn't move either.

"I.." Regina tried again but she was cut off by Emma's lips on her own. The kiss was quick for fear of being caught by one of their sons but Regina didn't complain. Instead, she grinned at Emma before giving her one small peck on the lips and turning around.

"Drive safely Ems." She only said once she made it to the front door.

"I will. Goodnight Gina" Emma smiled at her as she went towards her car and eventually left the big white mansion.

After Emma left, Regina closed the door behind her and stayed there for a while. The last two weeks that they have been dating Regina felt so alive. The whole sneaking around, the secret rendezvous and the stolen kisses made her feel like she was sixteen again. They haven't gone further than these kisses. Okay, they might have made out like teenagers on the back seat of the blonde's car once or twice but that was it. This time, they wanted to take things slow and if that meant they should stop once Emma became too handsy or when Regina wanted to ripped Emma's shirt open then so be it. This wasn't a fling for either of them. This meant that she hadn't regretted that one time that she had an argument with a very aroused Emma who had literally tried to get into her pants. Laughing at the memory of Emma's pout and the silent treatment she gave her for a whole twenty minutes, she found the will to push herself from the door and go talk with her teenager son.

Once she was outside Henry's room, she could hear noises coming from inside. Putting her ear against the door, she heard her son talking to someone else. He sounded so angry and Regina couldn't really fathom what had made Henry speak like that. Finding the courage she needed, she knocked on the boy's door.

"Come in," Henry said angrily and Regina opened the door. She caught her son hanging up and tossing his phone on his bed, before moving towards the window, avoiding to look at her.

"Henry," Regina whispered. "Are you okay?" She asked concerned.

"No," He replied through gritted teeth.

"What happened?"

"I don't wanna talk about it okay? All you need to know is that I hate ma and I don't wanna go to her house ever again." He shouted, taking Regina by surprise.

"I don't understand Henry. I spoke with your mother and she told me you didn't have a fight."

"Well, we didn't have to fight. Ma can fuck it up without even talking." He spat.

"Okay, first of all, watch your language. I get it, you're upset but cursing won't help. I'm also sure that if you talk about it you'll feel better. I may find a way to help you understand your mother's actions. If she said that you guys didn't fight then I'm pretty sure this is some kind of misunderstanding." Regina reasoned. Yes, Emma used to screw it up in the past but in the last few years, hers and Henry's relationship had become so much better.

"Don't mom, I'm not in the mood. Just leave, please." He implored as he was taking off his shirt and getting ready for bed.

"Fine" She sighed "Goodnight my prince." She said before closing the door behind her. Taking a big breath she pivoted and came face to face with Colin's door which was opposite to Henry's room. She knocked once and when she heard the soft "come in" she entered the room. Colin was sitting on his bed playing with his Nintendo DS.

"What happened with Henry and your mother?" She cut straight to the chase.

"Nothing," He replied but he avoided his mother's eyes.

"You know something," She narrowed her eyes at him. Colin sighed and placed the console on the nightstand beside him, before sitting up straighter.

"I'm gonna tell you but don't tell mom or Hen I told you okay?" He said as he chewed his bottom lip.

"Did they have a fight?" Regina asked curiously.

"No. It's just something I told Henry that upset him." The boy confessed.

"Okay, what did you tell him that made him so angry with Emma?"

"Saturday night.." Colin started and Regina could feel her blood running cold. "after we all went to bed mom went outside. I woke up because Ezra had drunk water from my glass and I didn't have any so I went to the kitchen. That's when I noticed that the front door was ajar. I ran straight to mama's room to tell her that someone might be in the apartment but she wasn't there. So, I walked towards the door, I opened it lightly and that's when I saw mom with another woman. I don't know who she was because there wasn't any light but I'm pretty sure I saw ma kissing that woman." The boy whispered and Regina bit her tongue so she couldn't react to the news.

"Oh" Regina simply said.

"Yeah. The next morning when mom left us alone I told him and he got pretty mad at her." Colin sighed.

"And you didn't tell your mother because?" She asked, trying to act neutral.

"Because firstly, she would have lied to me. And secondly, Hen said not to confront her. He said he'd deal with this." Colin shrugged. "Please don't tell Henry, he'll be mad at me too." The boy implored.

"Don't worry baby, I won't tell him anything," Regina promised.

"Also sorry for finding in this way about mom's new girlfriend," Colin said sadly and Regina felt so bad for lying to her son.

"It's okay my little prince. I can't stop your mother from moving on. Anyway, after Ezra's finished with his bath go next okay?" She said before leaving the boys bedroom. Her next stop was at her study. Opening the liquor cabinet she had in there, she grabbed one tumbler and poured some cider in it. Gulping all of it in one go, she refilled it before moving to the couch and sitting there. Then, images from last night started playing out in her mind;

* * *

_Emma had just put her sons to bed when her cell phone beeped. Grabbing it and opening it quickly so it wouldn't make any noise she saw a new message flashing on her screen; it was from Regina who let her know that she was outside and she'd better hurry because it was freezing. Emma grabbed a coat from the rack next to the front door, before opening it and coming face to face with Regina._

" _Hey." Emma smiled at the other woman._

_"Hello, Miss Swan." Regina greeted before kissing Emma._

_"I've missed being greeted like that," Emma admitted as she guided the other woman towards a bench, a few feet away from the front door. She made sure to leave the door ajar in case any of the boys would wake up and come looking for her._

" _Are the boys asleep?" Regina asked._

_"Yeap. I checked on them twice before coming outside. They are dead asleep. They were pretty tired." Emma explained as she extended her arm, letting Regina lean on her side. Emma hugged her, so she could warm her a little._

_"Did you guys have fun today?" Regina inquired as she nuzzled her face into Emma's neck._

_"Yeap." Emma smiled brightly. "We went ice skating because Colin had watched a movie with an ice skater and he wanted to show us his moves, then to the comic book store for Henry and lastly, we watched the new Star Wars movie."_

" _That sounds like a lot of fun. The boys love spending time with you." Regina smiled at her ex-wife._

_"And I love being with them too. Oh, we also had dinner with Nate and Elsa. She's an amazing cooker by the way."_

_"Oh is that so?" Regina questioned with a raised eyebrow making Emma burst into laughter._

_"Don't worry baby, you are much much better." Emma winked at the brunette._

_"I like it when you call me baby," Regina admitted, smiling shyly at Emma._

_"And I like calling you baby." and with that Emma kissed Regina lightly. Soon the kiss escalated and Regina found herself straddling Emma and kissing her with full force. Emma's arms had started roaming inside Regina's coat and when they found the other woman's ass she squeezed it lightly earning a moan from the other woman._

_"Emma we should stop," Regina said with a hoarse voice and to make her point she pushed Emma back. Emma sighed but she didn't make any comment. She knew that Regina was right._

_"Anyway, you should go back inside. Ezra will be upset if he wakes up and doesn't find you there." Regina commented._

_"I know" Emma groaned but helped Regina get up from her lap._

_"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Regina asked as she buttoned her coat._

_"Henry has some homework to do so we'll stay in. Oh, I almost forgot, we'll have dinner at my parents' house tomorrow so don't cook anything for the boys. They'll be all fed."_

_"Good to know," Regina replied and hugged Emma. After they pulled apart, Emma gave her a kiss on the nose and then on the lips before saying;_

" _Goodnight baby."_

" _Goodnight Ems"_

* * *

Regina sighed as she finished the rest of her drink. How could have they been so reckless? Because of this, Henry was now mad at Emma and Colin was feeling guilty. She had to speak with Emma. Telling them the truth wasn't an option; they were still very much early in the relationship. If they told the boys, they would be really happy and they would try to meddle with this. And if this didn't work out they would be devastated. But how would they explain to Henry that Emma's not seeing anyone? What they really had to do is stop being reckless and then she'd find a way to speak to Henry. Feeling tired from all these thoughts, she left the tumbler on the table, stood up and left the room.

* * *

The next morning Emma arrived at the firm really early. She had a very important meeting, one that Gold and her father would also be present, with a potential client and she had to be ready for it. That's why she had spent all last night studying. Gold had said that he would be a very important asset to their firm and Emma was the one who should convince him to sign with them. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she removed her glasses to rub her eyes. Ariel was also with her in the room, helping her remember the keywords that she should use at the meeting and occasionally scribble down a few notes.

"Alright, let's do it one more time." Emma prompted and Ariel nodded, tilting her head to each side to relieve the tension in her shoulders and neck.

"Sorry for bringing you here so early," Emma apologized. She had requested from Ariel to come in the firm early and the girl actually did it. She was so thankful for the redhead secretary and she was considering giving her a raise.

"It's okay Miss Swan. I know how important the Alvarez case is both to you and the whole firm. I spoke with Aurora, Mr Gold's secretary and she told me that it's the only thing that he's been talking about."

"Yeah, it's imperative we win this case." Emma nodded. "Anyway, let's do this," Emma said and before starting pointing out the important parts of her speech a knock was heard at the door.

"Come in," Emma said and she was surprised to see Regina entering her office, at this hour of the day.

"Regina?" Emma asked confused.

"Good morning dear. I don't know if this is a good time but I wanted to talk to you." Regina explained as she stayed still in her spot.

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked concerned.

"Yeah, everything is fine. We just need to discuss a few things. Again, if you're busy we can talk later."

"No, no it's okay. Ariel and I needed a break anyway. Ariel, we'll continue later."

"Yes, Miss Swan. Should I bring you anything?" She asked politely.

"No, I'm good." Emma declined.

"What about you Miss Mills? Do you want me to bring you some coffee?"

"No, Mrs Benson, thank you for your offer." Regina smiled at the younger girl, who after taking her laptop and her notes, left the office.

Regina, removed her coat, letting it on the couch before taking a seat opposite to Emma.

"For you coming this early and at my office, it must be really important whatever you want to discuss." Emma pointed out.

"It kind of is." Regina admitted and on Emma's worried face she added quickly "But nothing to worry about." she reassured.

"O..kay. Tell me." Emma prompted.

"Colin caught us kissing on Saturday night," Regina said and Emma spilt the coffee she just had sipped.

"Jesus Regina a little heads up next time. What do you mean caught us? Did he confront you about this? What did you tell him?"

"He didn't know it was me." She replied and at Emma's confused face she elaborated " He saw us kissing but he didn't recognize me. It was really dark and he couldn't see quite well so he thought you were kissing another woman. And he told Henry."

"Oh." Emma only said.

"That's exactly how I reacted when he told me. I can't believe we've been so reckless." Regina sighed as she sat back in the chair.

"Hey, it's not our fault. Yes, I agree we could have been more careful, but it happened and we can't do anything about it."

"Henry's really mad at you," Regina commented while nibbling at her bottom lip.

"I figured it had something to do with me. I just didn't know what."

"I'm sorry Ems"

"Don't worry. I'll talk to him"

"And what will you tell him? I hope not the truth, because they're not ready for it yet."

"No, I won't tell him the truth. But I'll make him realize that I'm a grown woman and I'm entitled to have a relationship. Yes, he'll be mad for a while but eventually, he'll see that I'm happy and he'll stop giving me a hard time about it." Emma reasoned.

"I suppose you're right. But I feel like a very bad parent for lying to them"

"I feel the same, trust me, but we said we'll take it slow this time and this means that the boys can't know about it"

"Ugh, I hate it when you're right." She groaned, making Emma chuckle.

"Come here," Emma said as she patted her legs. Regina stood up and walked around the desk, sitting on Emma's lap.

"We must be really careful from now on, Emma," Regina said in a serious tone, as Emma was kissing her neck, making her way towards Regina's ear. Regina was trying hard to concentrate but Emma was making it difficult for her.

"I totally agree," Emma replied but with not having heard a thing from what Regina had just said.

"I'm serious Ems. If we want to continue fooling around we need to be more careful. That means, no more secret meetings at your place or mine's when the boys are there. Also, you'll park your car at least two blocks away when you're coming over. And.." But Emma cut her off.

"Regina?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up baby" And with that, she kissed her hard.

"Emma are you ready for the Al-. Oh my god" David voice was heard as he barged into Emma's office without knocking. Regina jolted up from Emma's lap and she moved as far away as she could from her while David was standing at the entrance, his hand on his eyes.

"Are you both dressed? Can I open my eyes?" He asked awkwardly.

"We weren't naked dad." Emma rolled her eyes. David retracted his hand hesitantly but when he saw Regina being farther away from Emma, he let it on his side, standing there and staring at the two women.

"I didn't know you and Regina were seeing each other." He stated.

"We're not" Emma denied quickly, making David raise his eyebrow.

"We are but the boys and no one else knows," Emma explained. "So please don't tell anyone. Especially mom."

"Don't worry Emma, I won't tell anything," David reassured. "And I'm really happy for both of you." He commented making both women blush.

"Thanks, dad, that means a lot," Emma said sincerely.

"Anyway, I should go," Regina said and moved towards the door. After collecting her coat and purse from the couch she was ready to leave when David's voice stopped her.

"Oh and Regina...You might want to button your shirt first." He teased making Regina turn as red as a tomato and Emma yelling;

"Dad!"


	18. Chapter 18

"I need a favour" Regina said as soon as she entered Kathryn's office. The blonde, who was occupied with the clinic's paperwork, sighed before removing her glasses and replying to her brunette best friend with a sarcastic smile;

"Good morning to you too, Regina, I'm fine, thank you" Regina rolled her eyes at her friend's sassiness as she sat opposite to the other woman.

"I'm sorry dear, but I really need a favour." She smiled apologetically as she stood up and walked around the desk to peck her best friend's cheek.

"Okay, shoot, what is it?" Kathryn asked lightly.

"I need you to watch the boys this Saturday. Please tell me you haven't planned anything." Regina implored and Kathryn could see that her friend was really desperate.

"Can't your parents watch them? Or Emma?" She asked confused.

"They can but..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "They're going to ask where I'm going." She admitted.

"And do you think I'm not going to ask?" She raised her eyebrow challengingly at the brunette.

"Of course I know you're going to ask, dear."

She took another breath to calm her nerves and then she said.

"I'm dating Emma." She revealed making Kathryn spill her coffee all over the table.

"What?" She shrieked, her eyes going wide with shock.

"Do calm dear, you being shocked isn't good for the baby." She advised while indicating Kathryn's bump. Kathryn instinctively put her hand on her swollen belly as she prompted Regina to go on.

"I'm dating Emma. I know, I told you otherwise after what Henry pulled through but the truth is that the date went really well. And after that me and Emma decided to try one more time. We didn't want to say anything to the boys, or to anyone else for that matter because we wanted to be sure before making it public. The only person who knows is David because he literally caught me sitting on Emma's lap while she was kissing my neck." Regina said in one breath.

"Okay slow down, I'm losing you. So you and Emma are a thing now. And no one knows except for your father in law."

"Exactly" Regina nodded.

"I'm your best friend!" Kathryn whined making Regina laugh. "You should have told me!"

"Well, Ruby is Emma's best friend but she doesn't know either. And it's not like we told David. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time." She shrugged.

"So, you have been dating, for what now, two months? How is it going?" Kathryn asked with a grin.

"I think it's less than two months. And it's going really smooth. I don't know if this is because nobody knows but I like sneaking around with Emma. At first, I must admit, it was a bit awkward but now everything's fallen into place. And before you ask me, no, we haven't covered all the bases yet and that's where you come in."

"Oh," The blonde winked earning another eye roll from Regina.

"Me and Emma..we want to spend some time alone but we can't do that with the boys being either at my house or at Emma's. And don't get me wrong, I love the boys and I know I said that I love sneaking around but I don't want our first time...as a couple to be in Emma's backseat." Regina sighed and Kathryn nodded in understanding.

"And you can't tell anyone else because you don't want them to meddle in your relationship."

"Precisely"

"Ugh, you're lucky I love you," Kathryn said and Regina jumped from her seat and ran to hug her best friend.

"I love you too blondie" Regina replied.

"And I'm so happy for both of you. I knew that one way or another you and Emma would find a way to work things through."

"She makes me so happy, Kat. She always had and she always will." Regina smiled at the thought of her blonde girlfriend.

"Aw, look at you being all sappy." Kathryn teased earning a slap on her forearm from the other woman.

"Anyway, enough with me; now, I believe someone had an appointment with their gynaecologist in order to find the baby's gender," Regina exclaimed happily.

"It's a girl" Kathryn revealed and Regina felt some tears gathering in her eyes.

"Oh my god, Kathryn I'm so happy for you and Fred. You are going to be amazing parents." Regina said as she wiped away the tears of joy.

"Fred cried for about half an hour when the doctor revealed the gender. After the appointment, he literally dragged me to the baby store and he started buying everything he thought that the baby will need. It was cute at first, seeing him be all excited for our daughter but after almost buying her a football jersey so they can go to games together, that's where I drew the line." Kathryn chuckled making Regina laugh.

"Let him be. I still remember Emma debating with mother whether the best college for Colin would have been Harvard or Yale. And I was only seven months pregnant. It'll fade out eventually but it will come back with full force once she's born." Regina informed her with a grin.

"Great." Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"Have you decided on any names yet?" Regina asked curiously.

"Not really. I want to name her after one of our mothers' but Fred insists on giving her a unique one like Ivory or Aurelia. We have a few months before she's here so I don't see the point of choosing one now. And I'm sure he will come up with a few more until then."

"I'm sure that whichever you choose it will be amazing and it will suit her. Now, enough with the chit-chat. We have a clinic to run. Chop chop, Mrs Nolan." Regina urged as she left the blonde's office while laughing.

* * *

As Regina went back to her office, her first move was to text Emma to let her know that Kathryn had agreed on watching their sons this Saturday. Emma's response came quickly, saying how much she loves Kathryn, making Regina laugh.

" **I'm pretty sure that she had already planned who will babysit her daughter for the next three years."** Regina joked.

**"It's the least we can do, I guess. And she's a girl huh? Pass my congratulations. I'm pretty sure she'll be an amazing mother."**

**"Yeah, it's a girl. I can already imagine a blonde girl with Kathryn's sassiness and Fred's dorky jokes. My goddaughter is going to be the most beautiful girl out there."** Regina said with pride.

" **Already calling dibs on the godmother thing? Have they decided on any names?"** Emma asked

**"We have agreed on that since college dear. She's is the godmother of my first son and I will be her daughter's, simple as that. And no they haven't agreed on something yet. But I'm pretty sure Fred is driving her crazy."**

**"Do you remember when you were pregnant with Colin and we decided that it was about time we found a name for him?"**

" **Of course I remember dear"** Regina replied as she let her mind go back on the period that Emma was talking;

* * *

_Regina was five months pregnant with her first son when she decided that it was time she and Emma started thinking about names. She knew she had plenty of time ahead of her before the baby was born but after Emma calling her baby bump, Mr Bump, she knew it was the time. They had found the baby's gender a few weeks ago and even though Emma was hoping for a girl, Regina didn't mind; she would have been happy with either gender. Stroking her belly with her left hand she stood outside the home office as she knocked the door. At her wife's soft come in, Regina entered the room, where her wife was studying for a case. The brunette smiled at the sight of her blonde spouse. Emma had come a long way the past few years; with Henry, their wedding and her new job, Regina was proud of her and her determination._

_"Hey," Emma said with a tiring smile, breaking Regina from her thoughts._

_"Hello, dear," Regina said as she moved next to her wife, kissing her forehead gently. "Tough case?" She asked._

_"No, not really. It's the perfectionist in me that won't let me take a break. Anyway, is everything okay? Is Henry giving you a hard time?"_

_"No, everything is fine dear. Henry is in the living room watching a movie. I was just thinking.." Regina begun as Emma let her wife sat in her lap._

_"What were you thinking baby?" Emma asked, caressing her partner's belly._

_"About the baby's name" Regina replied while smiling at Emma who smiled back._

_"Do you have anything in mind? Or did you just simply think that it's time we start choosing names?" Emma asked, pecking Regina's lips._

" _I do have something in mind. It's not a name, merely an idea."_

_"Tell me, babe." Emma prompted._

_"I want you to choose the baby's name," Regina admitted and Emma was looking at her with an unreadable expression._

" _Are you sure?" Emma said after a spell of silence._

_"Yes, darling, I'm sure. This baby is yours too and I want you to name it." Regina said lightly._

" _I don't know what to say, really."_

" _Don't say anything, Just come up with a name before the baby is born." Regina teased and Emma laughed._

_The following weeks Emma would come up with more than twenty names each day. Regina would veto most of them but overall, she liked some of Emma's suggestions. It was a month later though, that Regina found the perfect name for the boy. Regina, Henry and Emma were all in the living room with Emma offering a few more names that she found online that day._

" _Dustin"_

" _No"_

" _Jimmy"_

" _No"_

" _Barry?"_

_"That sounds nice," Regina said._

" _Really?" Emma asked hopefully._

" _No" Regina smirked._

" _Anakin?"_

_"I won't name my son after Darth Vader, Emma" Regina deadpanned._

_"But it's a cool name, Gina" Emma sighed, being fed up with Regina vetoing all of her choices._

" _What was that sweetheart?" Regina asked Henry after seeing him mumbling something under his breath._

" _What about Colin Matthew?" Henry asked making Emma snap her face towards him._

" _How did you come up with that Henry?" Regina inquired while smiling._

_"I dunno." He shrugged "I guess I want my baby brother to be named like this. I like it" He elaborated before going back to his colouring._

_"You know what little prince? I like it. And the baby likes it too." Regina replied after feeling the baby kicking. "Ems, Henry come and say hello to Colin Matthew Swan-Mills"_

* * *

" **Who knew that Henry would be that good with names? Or that he'd end up naming both of his brothers."**

**"He's a creative boy, no wonder he was the one to choose his brothers' names. Anyway, I know that we are supposed to have our big night on Saturday but what about coming over the mansion tonight? You know after the boys have gone to sleep."** Regina suggested. She knew that what she was proposing was risky and there was a high chance that they would get caught but she couldn't really wait until Saturday to see Emma.

**"I don't see why not. I'll text you when I'm outside. For now, I'll have to leave you. We have a meeting with Gold. See you later, babes"**

**"See you later Ems "**

After her texts with Emma, Regina decided that it was time she focused on getting some work done.

* * *

It was a little while after five when Regina came back from work. The day had started to be pretty quiet but after lunch, more and more people were bringing their pets to the clinic. She had texted her mother telling her to pick up the boys in case she was late. And that's why she found Cora in her kitchen, cooking dinner, as she entered the room.

"Good evening, mother." Regina greeted the older woman as she approached her, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Good evening to you too, dear. How was your day?" She asked without looking at her younger daughter.

"It was pretty hectic but we've managed. Where are the boys?" She asked in return while leaving her briefcase on the floor.

"Henry and Colin are upstairs, studying. And Ezra is at the soccer practice but, don't worry. Your father is picking him up and bringing him home. I thought it would be a good idea if we had dinner all together. I also told your siblings. They will be here shortly." Cora informed. Regina didn't like this news at all. She was hoping of getting the boys to bed early so she could meet with Emma. But with her parents and siblings being there, their bedtime would be extended at least half an hour later. And God knows what time they would decide to leave. She really tried to hide her disappointment but Cora was quick to catch the grimace on her face.

"What is it dear? Aren't you happy that will spend some time together as a family? Me and Henry haven't seen the boys in a while, the same goes for your siblings." Cora explained.

"No, no..I'm just a bit tired that's all. But don't worry. It's fine. I haven't seen Graham in ages so you did well by inviting them over." Regina smiled and continued "Anyway, I'm going to take a shower and check on the boys. Be right back." Regina said before leaving the room. She made two stops at her sons' bedrooms to check that they were indeed studying and not playing on their phones before going to her bedroom. She quickly grabbed her phone from her pocket and called Emma. She let it ring a few times but Emma didn't answer. Sighing in frustration, she wrote a text, sending it to Emma;

**"Call me as soon as you get this text"**

Seeing that Emma wouldn't reply any time soon, she started getting undressed before hopping into the bathtub for a much-needed shower.

Emma's reply came an hour later when the whole Mills family was having dinner. Regina stood up to go pick up her phone but one glare from Cora had her sitting back in her chair.

"We're having dinner right now, dear. I'm sure whoever is calling you, can call again later."

"Yes mother," Regina said, making every other occupant of the table smirk at Cora's authoritative voice and Regina's scolded expression.

"Is Emma taking the boys this weekend?" Graham asked nonchalantly.

"No, why?" Regina asked confused.

"I was thinking of having a guys night, on Saturday night. You know me, the boys and Nate. I have been promising Ezra for ages and since I'm back in Boston for a week I thought this is the perfect opportunity." He smiled, winking at Ezra who grinned back at his favourite uncle.

"Well, I already told Kathryn to come over and watch the boys." Regina began before being cut off by Zelena.

"Oooh, is my sister going on a date?" She smirked.

"No, nothing like that. I just thought it would be a good idea to have a night all to myself." She lied but Cora saw right through her.

"You've never said something like that since you became a mother dear." Cora noticed.

"Well, I wasn't a divorcee mother then. With three boys, a dog and the clinic it's quite hard to find some time for myself."

"And why can't Emma take the boys as she's been doing every weekend for the past two years?" Cora pushed.

"I don't know mother!" Regina huffed. "She asked me to keep the boys here this weekend. She must have some unavoidable business, I guess." And before Cora could ask any more questions Regina spoke "And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and see who called me" and then practically sprinted towards the living room where she had left her phone. Seeing five missed calls and three texts from Emma, she cursed lightly and prayed to whatever god there might be, that Emma wasn't outside waiting for her, before calling Emma. Thankfully, this time, she answered immediately.

"Hello, there beautiful," Emma said in a flirting tone.

"Emma." Regina sighed with relief. "Where are you?" She asked urgently.

"On my way there," Emma replied.

"No, don't come here. My parents and siblings are here. If they see you waiting outside they're going to put two and two together. And trust me when I say this, my mother is onto us."

"Indeed I am, dear" A voice was heard behind Regina and she felt her blood running cold. Without telling anything else to Emma, she hung up and turned to face her mother.

"How much did you hear?" Regina asked.

"Enough to know with whom you were talking...and the..nature of your conversation..." Cora smirked.

"I was going to tell you." Regina began but Cora cut her off.

"Oh, I didn't come here to gloat dear. I was onto you for quite some time now. But I knew you had your reasons when you chose not to tell me. And I'm going to respect them. I just had to ask you one thing. As your mother, I need to know this. And after that, I'll act like I don't know anything until you tell me yourself."

"Ask me," Regina said hesitantly.

"Is it different this time? Is she going to make you happy?" Cora asked.

"She already has, mama," Regina said before hugging her mother tightly. Cora left the room, giving Regina the chance to text Emma back.

"Mother knows." she simply said. The reply came a few seconds later.

"Oh. And?" Regina could tell that Emma was anxious.

"She asked me if you're making me happy."

"And what did you say, Regina?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out Miss Swan. See you on Saturday." And with that Regina left a nervous Emma to join her family back to the dining room.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a slight NSFW.
> 
> Sorry, I didn't give you much of a smut but I wasn't feeling like writing it :/

Saturday had finally come and Regina woke up earlier than usual. Truth be told she hadn't got much of a sleep last night; She had been nervous about her date with Emma. It wasn't even their first date as they had been on countless of these since they started seeing each other. Yet, she couldn't shake this feeling off her. Part of this concern was justifiable; yes, they have been on many dates but all of them were in public places where things couldn't escalate. They, of course, have had some make out sessions at Emma's car but nothing more. This time, there was a possibility that they may have sex tonight. Regina didn't know how to feel about that. She was nervous because they haven't been intimate with each other for more than two years. She didn't know what to expect from Emma; as far as she knew Emma has been celibate since her last encounter with Jane. Would Emma be gentle with her or would she be rougher? Would Emma even make a move tonight? Yes, in her mind, Regina believed that Emma invited her over for a quiet evening in which eventually would lead to sex. But what if Emma wasn't ready for that yet? Sighing, Regina got up from the bed and went to the bathroom.

After getting ready for the day, Regina went downstairs to prepare breakfast for her sons. They wouldn't be up for at least another hour but she needed some time to organize her thoughts and her plans for tonight. Kathryn would come later this day to stay over and watch the boys. Regina made a mental note to write a list of things that they boys should or shouldn't do in her absence. Not that they needed one but sometimes the boys could be sneaky and try to trick Kathryn to let them do whatever they want. After finding out the truth, Cora had offered to watch the boys but Regina politely declined, saying that when it comes to her grandsons, Cora is a pushover, which would lead to the boy staying up all night, eating pizza and playing video games. Cora tried to deny it by telling her that she's more responsible than that but deep down they both knew how the evening would unfold.

She was halfway through the breakfast preparations when she was startled by a buzz in her jean's pocket. Taking it in her hands, Regina saw Emma's name flashing on the screen and immediately a smile crept into her face. Without wasting any moment she picked up the phone.

"Hello, Ms Swan." Regina purred with the sexiest tone she could master, given the time.

"Good morning Ms Mills. How are you this fine morning?" Emma chirped.

"I'm fine dear, just making some breakfast for our sons. What about you?" Regina inquired while tossing a pancake in the air and landing it back in the pan, successfully.

"I just woke up." She replied and Regina refrained herself from making mental images of Emma wearing nothing but a sports bra and her boxers. Gulping audibly she spoke to Emma.

"I see" She simply said. "Is everything okay?" She felt her stomach being tied into knots. What if Emma called to cancel? That would explain her morning call.

"Yeah, why wouldn't be? I just wanted to check up on you." Emma answered and Regina left a breath she didn't know she was holding. Emma heard Regina's loud exhale and she was quick to ask.

"Did you think that something happened?" She asked confused.

"I-I thought you wanted to cancel," Regina admitted, feeling stupid for assuming such thing.

"Oh, no no no, nothing like that. I'm sorry if I made you think that I would cancel." Emma apologized.

"Don't apologize dear, you did nothing wrong. I just have a bad feeling lately and I have been very cautious that's all." Regina revealed.

"A bad feeling? About our relationship?" Emma asked.

"No, not about us. And it's not exactly a bad feeling. Just a nagging in the back of my mind. But I'm pretty sure it's nothing." Regina tried to shrug it off before make Emma worry.

"Are you worried or something about tonight? Because if you are we can totally reschedule. Or do something else. We can go to the cinema, instead. There's this movie-" But before Emma could start rambling Regina cut her off.

"Emma dear, you're rambling." After making sure that Emma had indeed shut her mouth, Regina continued. "I am not worried about our date. On the contrary, I can't wait for it." She reassured Emma.

"Oh, okay. Anyway, I gotta go, I promise Nate I'll help him with one of his cases. See you tonight babe."

"Goodbye Emma" And with that Regina hung up.

Not half an hour had passed since the call when Regina heard a soft pitter patter coming from beside her. Turning around she came face to face with a very sleepy Ezra.

"Good morning Bubbah." Regina smiled at her youngest son.

"Mo'ing" He softly said before claiming his seat at the breakfast table.

"Food" He demanded, making Regina laugh.

"Coming right away, a plate full of chocolate chipped pancakes for Prince Ezra" Regina announced as she passed the plate to her son, who accepted it while giggling. Regina placed a kiss at the top of his head, before going to the fridge to retrieve some orange juice and milk for her son.

"Can we go to the park today?" He asked his mother with his big puppy dog eyes.

"If you promise me to be your best self for when Kathryn comes tonight, then yes we can go." Regina negotiated.

"When wasn't I in my best self?" The boy grinned deviously at his mother making her roll her eyes.

"Oh let me think.." She said while putting her forefinger under her chin, pretending to think about it. Mere seconds later she replied. "How about when you and your brothers persuade Nate to leave you unsupervised, claiming that you were old enough to take care of yourselves? Do you remember how the house was when I returned home?"

Ezra laughed when memories of that evening came to his mind. The boys had decided to have a fight with Nerf guns inside the house. The result of that fight had been catastrophic; they had managed to broke two vases, get everything wet, including themselves and ruin Colin's assignment who had left it in the kitchen for Regina to proofread. Suffice to say that they were all grounded for two weeks. All of them, however, claimed to be totally worth it.

"Oh don't you laugh young man, because if you pull something like that again, I'm sending you all to your mother. And I'm pretty sure she can be quite stricter when it comes to punishment." Regina winked at her younger son who just scowled at her.

The moment between mother and the Benjamin of the family was interrupted by Colin who stormed into the kitchen like someone was chasing him.

"Hey slow down, honey. What happened?" Regina asked confused.

"I smelled chocolate chipped pancakes and I wanted to come before Hen gets here." He said in a ragged breath.

"I can always make some more." Regina said sarcastically to Colin who had a neutral expression on his face "You're not funny mom" He deadpanned before sitting next to Ezra.

"Where's Henry? I want to talk to all of you about tonight. Henry!" She was ready to go upstairs and find her son when he entered the kitchen, wearing only his pyjama bottoms.

"There isn't any girl here to impress Henry. Put you nerdy t-shirt on" Colin sassed and Regina suppressed a chuckle. Colin was indeed her son through and through.

"It's hot in here, eat your breakfast munchkin," Henry said as he shot a death glare to his brother.

"Colin is right though. You just woke up and you're still warm. You should wear something or you're going to catch a cold."

"Good morning to you too, mom," Henry replied sarcastically before joining his brothers.

"Okay extra sassiness today, from all my sons." Regina sassed herself before coughing to get their attention. Once all of her boys were looking at her she started talking again.

"As you know tonight Kathryn will stay over to watch you. I want you not to give her any trouble; if she tells you to go to sleep, you go to sleep. You won't start a fight and you'll be as less sassy as you can. Understood?"

"Yes, mom." They all said in unison.

"That's my boys. Now when you finish your breakfast and since you are so cooperative, I believe someone asked for a day at the park." She announced watching her sons beaming at her.

* * *

It was a little after six in the evening and Regina had been ready for her date for over an hour now. Since she knew that they would stay inside, she opted for jeans, a maroon sweater and black boots. She also chose to let her hair in its natural state and applied light make up.

Now, she was in the kitchen, drinking a glass of wine to calm her nerves, waiting for Kathryn to come. Thankfully, the blonde was on time and after ten minutes the doorbell rang, indicating her arrival. Regina, after letting her empty glass in the sink, walked towards the front door, which she opened to greet her best friend.

"You saw me yesterday, did you miss me that much?" Kathryn joked after receiving an extra strong hug from her brunette friend.

"No, I'm just super nervous for tonight." She admitted as she dragged her best friend inside the house, before closing the door.

"Ah, I see," Kathryn said in understanding. "Well, I suggest you stop worrying otherwise you won't enjoy your night with Emma and a week of planning this date will go wasted." Kathryn reasoned.

"You're right. It's just...What if Emma only wants us to have dinner, maybe talk a little and then she says it's late so I should just go home? Or even worse if I initiate something and she's not ready but doesn't stop me so as not to ruin the mood?"

"Regina dear are you listening to yourself?" Kathryn asked while doing everything in her power not to roll her eyes. "First of all if Emma didn't want something more to happen tonight she wouldn't have invited you over. Secondly, does Emma struck you as the type to say no to sex? Or not to want sex with you in the first place?"

"I'm worrying too much, aren't I? Regina asked once she realized how absurd, whatever she said. sounded.

"Yes. So relax, take a deep breath and go spend some time with your girlfriend. I'm pretty sure everything will be fine."

Regina took a deep breath and hugged her friend again "Thank you so much, Kathryn. For helping me calm and for agreeing on watching the boys."

"You're most welcome, dear. Now go!" Kathryn ordered and to make her point, she slapped the brunette's ass earning a laugh from the other woman.

* * *

Emma Swan wasn't the type of person to freak out especially about a date. Yet, here she was, minutes before Regina arrived, freaking about everything; the food that Ruby so gratefully provided. The number of candles that she should light up. If everything was in place or if the apartment looked as pristine as the mansion looked. And finally, if she should make a move on Regina or the other woman would consider it too soon. Truth be told, when Emma invited Regina, she didn't put much of a thought on it. However, when she called Ruby to ask her about cooking for the night, that was when the other woman asked her if that would be the night. Emma shrugged it off immediately but with the passage of days that thought became more and more prominent in her mind. And right now she was about to have a nervous breakdown. For better or worse, a knock was heard in the front door signalling that Regina was there. Taking a deep breath and looking at herself in the mirror to make sure that everything was in place, Emma opened the door with a huge smile on her face.

"Babe," Emma said as her eyes roamed the other woman's body. Emma couldn't fathom how someone dressed so casually could look so beautiful.

"You'll catch a fly dear." Regina teased as she approached the other woman, giving her a peck on the lips.

"I can't help it when you look like a model Gina, even when you're wearing jeans" Emma whined as she closed the door behind her, making Regina laugh.

"I can remove them if you want," Regina said in a flirtatious tone making Emma's eyes go wide open.

"Ah...I cooked... I mean Ruby cooked..." Emma stammered and after shaking her head to stop the mental images of a naked Regina she said again "As you know I can't cook to save my life, so Ruby offered to cook." She said, coherently this time.

"That was nice of her," Regina said while sitting on the couch.

"So, how was your day with the boys?" Emma asked as she moved around while trying to open a bottle of wine.

"We went to the park this morning, we played some soccer and we ate ice cream. Then, and since they've been such good boys, we had lunch at Granny's. After that, we returned home and they put a movie to watch."

"Let me guess, Black Panther?" Emma asked rhetorically as she poured some wine into two glasses.

"What else dear?" Regina joked. "Anyway, Kathryn's there with them and she's going to stay over so we don't have to worry about the time," Regina informed.

"Good to know" Emma smiled, passing the glass to the brunette.

"So.." Emma began. "You haven't told me what you said to your mother when she asked you if I was making you happy."

"Is it that important?" Regina asked instead of answering.

"Well, it's not but I want to know..." she hesitated for a while before continuing "I wanted to know that I'm doing it right this time. That I'm not going to fuck up once again. That I'm worthy of you Regina." Emma confessed.

"Emma" Regina said as she rushed next to the blonde, holding her hands. "I didn't know you were feeling like that. I didn't know that me, us means so much to you."

"Of course it does Regina. I love you. This time we're going to do it right whatever that means." Emma said with sheer determination making Regina crash her lips to the blonde's ones for a hungry kiss. Emma immediately responded by putting her hands on Regina's back bringing her closer. When the need for air became more prominent, Regina took a step back, catching her breath.

"Perhaps we should eat something," Regina suggested.

"Food can wait," Emma cut her off before lifting Regina in the air, making the brunette yelp in surprise. She put her legs, though, around Emma's waist as the blonde led both of them in her bedroom.

Once inside the bedroom, Emma let Regina gently on the bed, positioning herself between the other woman's legs.

"Are you sure you want this?" Emma asked with uncertainty.

"I am," Regina replied honestly. "Are you?" She asked back.

Emma's response was a heated kiss on her lips, making her moan loudly. As Emma made her way towards her neck, Regina made light work with unbuttoning her jeans and then Emma's. Emma put her hands through the brunette's sweater, helping her remove it along with the bra as Emma concentrated on her breasts. She began with softly flicking her tongue around the hardened nipple while massaging the other with her forefinger and thumb. She continued her way souther, kissing every inch of Regina's body. When her chin came in touch with Regina's jean's button she stood up, helping her girlfriend out of it. With one go, she managed to remove both the jeans and Regina's black lace underwear. Emma stood there for a few seconds watching the beautiful brunette. She'd never understand how she got so lucky with this woman. How she managed to forgive her once again and let Emma show her how much she always loved her. Seeing Emma's lack of response Regina began to worry.

"Emma?" She asked softly "Is everything okay? Do you want us to stop?"

"Hm?" Emma responded once she came back from her raging thoughts "No, no. I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you." Emma confessed with a shy smile.

"Oh, Emma" Regina felt her heart melting with the blonde's words.

"Now let me show you how much I love you, Regina. And how much I am going to love you for the rest of our lives. Because this is it. I don't want anyone else, Regina. Only you."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to some complications on FF. net, I will post the new chapter there later.

Henry Mills woke up early, despite the fact that it was Sunday when he would usually sleep in. Even though Regina had repeatedly told Henry to start with his project in physics since the previous week, Henry thought it would be better to leave it for the last minute, since the deadline was this Tuesday. Emma had given him a few ideas of what he could do to impress his teachers and he decided to go with one of these.

As he got up, he checked his phone for any messages from his mother or his friends. Seeing that neither of them had texted him, he went on with his daily routine.

His next stop was the kitchen. He was kinda afraid to walk in the room, as last night Kathryn, being the cool aunt that she is, let Henry invite some of his friends for a small party. She and the boys had stayed at Regina's bedroom watching Disney movies and playing board games. Colin had attempted to stay downstairs with Henry's friends, but after a while, he declared that teenagers (aka Henry's friends) are boring before going upstairs. Truth to be told, it wasn't even a big party just a couple of Henry's friends and classmates listening to music and playing video games. Things though went south when they all got hungry. They started ravaging the fridge and when they had eaten anything that they found worth eating they ordered some pizza. Suffice to say that they left the kitchen in a complete mess. Henry made a mental note to clean the mess the morning after, as his friends left the house at three in the morning and he was in no mood for cleaning the kitchen. However, Kathryn had cleaned everything, including the living room. He felt bad for letting the blonde do all the hard job, as she was the one who suggested he invited his friends but he decided that making breakfast for all of them would be enough. As he started retrieving the pan and some ingredients for pancakes, he froze in his spot. Smacking his head, he remembered that he had left his notebook at Emma's place. Cursing lightly he grabbed a piece of paper to let Kathryn know that he's leaving before going upstairs to get ready. Ten minutes later he had left the house, going to Emma's apartment.

* * *

Half an hour after Henry had left the house, Kathryn woke up, sandwiched by her two favourite nephews. Last night, none of them wanted to go to bed alone so Kathryn let them sleep with her. Rubbing her eyes to wipe the sleep away she looked for her phone. Regina hadn't returned so that definitely meant that the do lovebirds finally did it. A smile crept across her lips as she realized she had left her phone downstairs. She couldn't wait to text Regina demanding all the details and even teasing her a little. She was so happy for her friends. Yes, a lot of things had happened between them but since they have met, almost fifteen years back, Regina and Emma were the ones for each other. It took them a divorce to finally realize that, but Kathryn believed that they wouldn't screw it up again.

Αs she entered the room she noticed the different ingredients Henry had left at the kitchen counter and a folded piece of paper. Confused as to why Henry would have left them out of the fridge, she grabbed the note and started reading;

"I left my notebook at ma's so I'm going to take it. I'll make breakfast once I'm back."

Kathrynn's eyes opened widely. Regina and Emma were together, probably naked and Henry was going there.

"Oh, shit" she exclaimed before texting a quick message to Regina warning her about Henry's arrival.

* * *

Henry, fifteen minutes later, had arrived at Emma's apartment. Opening the door with his key, he entered the house. The first thing he noticed was the bottle of wine and two half empty glasses at the coffee table. Raising his eyebrow, he let it be, not giving much of a thought of who might have been with his mother last night. He definitely knew that it was a woman, the red lipstick on the glass would be a bitch to wash, as he proceeded to his bedroom. Finding his notebook at his desk, he left the room and he was heading towards the front door when he heard giggles in Emma's room. He felt a bit nauseous as the thought of his mother spending the night with another woman wasn't ideal for him. He was outside the bedroom and after taking a big breath to calm his nerves, he opened the door quickly so as to catch his mother by surprise. With what he saw, though, he wished he had opened it slowly and then confront his mother about it.

"Oh my god, my eyes!" Henry screeched as he quickly averted his eyes from the sight of his two mothers being naked and kissing. Thankfully, both of them were covered with sheets and only their shoulders were exposed but Henry could tell that underneath they weren't clothed.

"Henry, what the heck!" Emma shrieked, as she pulled the sheet higher in front of her.

"I can't believe it!" He yelled. "Not only have I caught my mothers doing you know what but I also realized that they had been lying to me all this time!"

"Henry, we can explain.." Regina began but she was cut off by Henry's raised voice.

"You know what? Right now I don't want to know. I'm glad that ma's not with someone else but I'm mostly angry because you didn't trust me or the boys. I'm leaving. And don't come after me" He spat before exiting the room and then the apartment.

It was that moment that Regina's phone dinged, indicating Kathryn's text.

"Who is it now?" Emma asked with a sigh, as she let herself fall to the pillow.

"Kathryn. She texted me to inform me about Henry. Too late I guess." She said dryly before getting up from the bed to retrieve her clothes.

"Are you...are you okay?" Emma asked cautiously.

"Our son just caught us as we were about to have sex Miss Swan, how do you think I feel?" Regina hissed angrily as she put her jeans on.

"Hey, relax, I'm just as shook as you are, but acting on it it won't help. Also..uhm...do you regret last night?" Emma asked, suddenly feeling insecure.

"Are you seriously asking me that right now, Emma?" Regina asked instead of answering as she pinched the bridge of her nose. This was so not the way that she wanted her sons to find out about them. It wasn't even in the top ten.

"Look, I know that you're upset, Henry finding out about us in such a way wasn't ideal-"

"Ideal? This was the exact opposite of ideal Emma." Regina pointed out.

"Come on Regina, you're acting like this is my fault," Emma shouted.

"We could have been more careful!" Regina shouted back.

"Careful how? Put a tie at the front door? Lock the bedroom door? Not have sex at all? We couldn't possibly know that Henry will come here. And as far as I remember it was Kathryn's job to watch them and call us if anything went wrong.!"

"Oh no, do not drag Kathryn into this," Regina warned, her eyes flashing with anger.

"I'm not dragging anyone into anything. I'm just stating the facts. You attacked me as if I'm the one to blame. Had I know last night would have such a turn out I would have.." but she stopped before she could say something that she would regret.

"You would have what Emma?" Regina pushed.

"Nothing, forget it, Regina." Emma implored as she fell back onto the mattress.

"Goodbye, Miss Swan" Regina said once she was fully clothed before leaving the apartment.

"Ugh, idiot!" Emma growled before throwing the pillow at the door.

* * *

Regina, after leaving Emma's apartment, stepped into her car and drove towards the mansion. She knew that Henry wouldn't be there as he would be too upset and he knew that Regina would follow him there. It took her less than fifteen minutes to arrive at the mansion. Parking her car next to Kathryn's she quickly exit the vehicle and run towards the front door. Upon opening it, she heard Kathryn's voice calling for her eldest son.

"Henry?" Kathryn asked "He...uh...I thought you were Henry." Kathryn said as she approached her best friend.

"I'm assuming he's not here." Regina sighed.

"And I'm assuming he caught you and Emma? Sorry, I tried to warn you but I didn't know what time he left. When I woke up, he was already gone" Kathryn apologized.

"It's okay. You did right by texting me. And yes he caught us on the bed, he yelled at us and then he left."

"Do you know where he might be?" Kathryn asked concerned.

"He could be anywhere, to be honest. From my parents' house to my in-laws' house or to Belle and Ruby's." Regina sniffed.

"Graham's," Colin said while climbing the stairs to meet with his mother and godmother.

"What did you say, Colin?" Regina asked again, once the boy was in front of her, hugging her middle.

"Henry told me that when he's upset he likes to hang out at Graham's place. Graham had also given him a key so he could go when he's not around." Colin informed.

"Thank you baby boy," Regina said in gratitude as he kissed her son's temple. She was ready to leave for Graham's penthouse when Colin's voice stopped her once again.

"So you and ma are back together?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, trying to hide the grin that was about to form on his lips.

"We'll talk about it once I'm back," Regina promised before leaving the house.

* * *

The elevator dinged, indicating that Regina had arrived at Graham's penthouse. The doors opened and Regina came face to face with Graham's large living room. Graham and Zelena, unlike Regina, didn't follow their parents' footsteps as doctors. Instead, they both decided to open their own businesses and they were both successful if the penthouse was anything to go by. Entering the spacious room, she looked around for any sign of Henry.

"Henry?" Shee shouted, her voice echoing in the large house.

"Henry?" She repeated as she moved further into the house. It was then that she saw her son coming down the stairs with a bottle of soda in his hand while rolling his eyes.

"I swear I'm not telling Colin anything ever again." He growled as he placed the empty soda can on the countertop.

"Don't blame your brother, he wanted to help."

"By selling me out?" Henry sassed while moving to Graham's playroom, Regina on his tail.

"Henry..." she sighed.

"What mom?" He asked a bit harsh. "Look, uncle Graham gave me this key so as to have a safe place to visit when I'm upset. And guess what? I'm upset right now, so if you left, that would be best." He said without looking Regina in the eye.

"No, Henry we need to talk. I feel terrible for lying to you but I had a reason to do so. So please, hear me out and then I'll leave. And no, I won't tell anyone else about your secret place and I won't coming for you when you're here. This was a one-time thing I promise. But I can't promise the same for Graham" Regina joked and Henry chuckled a little.

"He only tried to help. Last time I ran out he was the one to find me and he told me about coming here when I'm upset. It's safer and Graham don't mind, even if he's here. Plus his fridge is full of goodies." Henry grinned.

"So, you come here a lot?" Regina asked curiously as he sat next to Henry.

"Yeah." Henry admitted. "Especially after the divorce, I'd come here almost every day. He kinda built that room for me" He smiled at the memory of Graham showing him to this room. "Anyway," he said as he cleared his throat. "You and mom.."

"Me and Emma...We are together. Since that date, you actually planned for us." Regina revealed while avoiding Henry's eyes.

"I'm not mad that I caught you or something, even though it was so gross; I just can't understand why you didn't tell us the truth. I feel like you didn't trust me..us.." Henry said.

"Of course I trust you, Henry, more than anyone. We did this to protect you. Supposing I did tell you and your brothers about mine and Emma's relationship. You would have been very happy and very excited. Then suppose that we realized that we can't make it work again and it would be better if we were apart. You would have been heartbroken. You'd go back to blaming Emma about everything and the boys would start throwing tantrums about wanting their mother back." Regina reasoned.

"I would have handled it," Henry said firmly. Deep down though he knew he was lying.

"Would you Henry?" Regina asked knowing all too well her son.

"No." He admitted after a while. "I'd be mad at Emma."

"Exactly. We wanted to make sure that this time we'll do it right. Without the fighting and the cheating. We wanted to try again and give you the family you deserve." Regina smiled lightly.

"So were you going to tell us?"

"Yes. After last night, we would tell you." Regina tried to hide the blush from her cheeks as both she and her son knew what happened last night.

"First of all ew." He said, making a gagging noise. "Secondly, I'm happy that you and ma are back together now." He beamed at his mother who hugged him tightly. When they pulled away Henry asked again.

"So does that mean that Emma's coming home?" His eyes shined with hope.

"Oh, I don't know Henry," Regina said sadly.

"Why's that?" He asked confused.

"First of all, it's a big step for our relationship. Sure, we've lived together before but we said we'll take it slow and two months of dating is not enough. Secondly, even if I wanted to, I don't know about your mother." She admitted.

"Mom would love to leave with us and you know it. I'm not saying that I'm not gonna miss the apartment because it's been a home to me for two years now but I'd prefer mom being with all of us. Υou know, like the old times."

"I...I'll talk with her and see what we'll do about that." Regina smiled reassuringly at her son. Truth to be told, she didn't know where she and Emma stood right now. They had a fight, their first as a couple and it hadn't ended well. What if they still weren't ready? What if Emma, after their argument, realized that she didn't want this anymore? Trying to stop her mind from these thoughts she spoke again.

"Now, why don't we go back home? I believe you promised Kathryn breakfast and a Swan-Mills never back down from a promise." Regina winked, making Henry chuckle.

"Fine, but I'm coming back during the week to finish my game," Henry said before leaving the room and Regina behind.

After Henry closed the door, Regina retrieved her phone from her back pocket. She quickly looked through her contacts before calling her brother.

"Regina? Is everything okay?" Graham asked concerned. He wasn't used to his younger sister calling that early in the morning.

"Everything is fine. I'm at your house. I found Henry here. He told me about you letting him come here when he's upset." Regina admitted.

"Ah, and you called me to give me an earful?" He teased.

"No. I called to thank you. I'll be much calmer now, knowing that Henry will be here when he's not in a good mood. Thank you for providing Henry with a place to cool off. That means a lot." Regina said sincerely, trying to hold back some tears.

"That's why I did it, Gina. I know how worried you were each time he ran away. Hell, I was the one looking for him and finding him I might add. Last time he did that, he ended up in the worst part of Boston. If something had happened to him I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing that I wasn't in time to save him. So I gave him the key. Also, and I haven't told Henry that, I hired someone to follow him once he leaves the place, just to make sure he gets home safely."

"Τhank you Graham, for everything. We should have dinner once you get back from Seattle."

"Okay, little sis. Talk to you later. Oh and tell Henry to be safe."

"Will do. Goodbye Graham" And with that, she hung up the phone.

* * *

It was a little while after eleven when Regina and Henry got back from Graham's house. Henry, after apologising once more for his behaviour, went upstairs to start his project. Regina went to the kitchen where her best friend was waiting for her, passing her a cup of coffee wordlessly.

"So everything's okay with Henry?"

"Yeah. We talked it out and he understood the reasons we hid it from him."

"He's a smart boy. He also knows that you wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Will you tell the others?"

"Yes, I'll have a talk with them about this later. They'll take it much better, I'm sure." Regina said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"You don't seem happy, or even relieved for the boys finally finding out." Kathryn pointed out.

"I...I had a fight with Emma, once Henry left the apartment." Regina admitted.

"Did she do anything?" Kathryn asked curiously.

"No. She was so calm actually and try to calm me too. I snapped at her and then I left without apologizing."

"Oh, Gina," Kathryn said.

"I know. I tried to call her when we left the penthouse, but she wouldn't answer."

"Maybe she didn't hear it?" Kathryn tried.

"No, that's not it. It was Emma's way to tell me that she's mad and she needs some time to cool off."

"But you're afraid that this is more than a timeout for Emma."

"I...yes." She revealed. "Maybe she thought that she wasn't ready for such a step. Maybe we weren't ready. I mean one tiny setback and I completely lashed out at her." Regina said with tears in her eyes.

"Hey, hey.." Kathryn said as she rushed to her best friend, hugging her. "Emma needs some time. And you're going to give it to her. But she loves you, Regina. She wouldn't back down that easily. Trust me on this." Kathryn reassured.

"I hope you're right Kat because I can't lose her again" Regina confessed.

"And you won't, Reggie. You and Emma are meant to be together. Always remember that." That did the trick making Regina smile.

"Now call your son downstairs because he promised me, he'd cook. I have a baby to feed." Kathryn whined and both of them burst into laughter.


	21. Chapter 21

A few days had gone by and Regina hadn't heard from Emma. Since that Sunday morning when Henry caught them and their fight after that, Emma didn't make a move to call or visit Regina. The brunette understood that she had been rather unfair towards the blonde, blaming her for getting caught by their son and she knew that she had to give Emma space. Yet, after so many days, an uneasy feeling had started settling on her stomach. Whenever they had a fight, at least in the past, Emma didn't need more than a day or two to forgive Regina. But now it was almost a week without Emma reaching out. Henry had stopped by her house once or twice but the blonde didn't seem to be there. Regina had also tried calling her office too, but Ariel would always pick it up saying that Emma was busy. Regina really tried not to be disheartened by it but each day that was passing without talking to Emma she'd become more and more worried.

It was Thursday morning when Regina decided that enough was enough. She couldn't handle this cold shoulder that Emma was giving her and she was about to do something about it. That was why she was now outside Emma's apartment contemplating if she should knock the door or not. Checking the time on her phone, she countered that Emma must be at home since it was too early for her to have left for the office. Taking a deep breath, she exited her car and walked towards the blonde's apartment. She knocked once and waited for the answer that never came. A second knock and another few seconds of waiting; still nothing. Regina found it really odd. Emma tried really hard to avoid her and she succeeded. But Regina wouldn't be the one to quit. Grabbing her phone from her purse she called Henry. Two rings later, a still sleepy Henry picked up the phone.

"Mom?" He asked confused, still disoriented from sleep.

"Good morning sweetheart, I called to inform you that I won't be there to make you breakfast; but don't worry, I called your Grandmother Cora. She'll be there in a few minutes." She informed her eldest son.

"Oh. Okay. And what about you? I mean where are you?"

"I stopped by your mother's apartment in an attempt to talk to her but she's not here," Regina said defeated.

"Did you try her office?"

"That's where I'm going now. She must be there, there's no other explanation. Anyway, I don't really want to bother you with mine and your mother's relationship problems."

"It's okay mom, I know you're worried. But everything's gonna be fine." Henry reassured.

"Thank you, honey. I gotta go. See you at dinner, Hen"

"Bye, mom and good luck," Henry said before hanging up the phone.

* * *

As Regina had told Henry, her next stop was the Gold and Swan firm. She remembered that one of her last visits there had been about the divorce she and Emma had signed, two years ago. She really tried to forget that black spot on her and Emma's relationship but that place would always remind her of it. Here, except for the divorce that Regina signed once upon a time, was also the place that Emma had met Jane and probably had sex too. Here, Regina had also confronted them about it causing a big fight between Nate and Emma and later with David. How did things escalate so quickly? Since that day, thoughts about why their marriage had gone wrong still haunted her. But she shouldn't be thinking about it. Not now that their relationship was rocky. The elevator dinged indicating Regina's arrival at the 20th floor where Emma's office was. Walking down the all too known corridor she stopped outside Emma's office. She quickly glanced towards Ariel's office and since she didn't find her there, she decided to knock. But once again no-one answered and she was ready to open the door when a male voice stopped her.

"She's not in here," He said and Regina turned around, coming face to face with her brother-in-law.

"Nate!" She said, with a big smile as she hugged him.

"Hello, beautiful," He said with an equally big smile, once their hug ended. "You're looking for Emma, I see." He winked at the brunette.

"Ah...yes" she admitted. "We had a fight and I haven't heard from her ever since." She sighed.

"Oh so that's why she's been so snappy." and at Regina's confused expression he elaborated "A few days ago, I asked her if she wanted to hang out, have a few beers like we used to and she practically told me to fuck off. I knew I didn't do something wrong, so I wasn't really offended." He shrugged, unbothered by his sister's behaviour.

"Do you know where she is now?" Regina asked, biting her bottom lip.

"She's at court. She won't be back for at least another hour. There's this case that had caused a lot of stress to the firm. She's been there with dad and Gold since early this morning."

"Oh, I see," Regina said deflated and tried to leave, but Nate's voice stopped her once again.

"And here I thought you came to see your handsome brother-in-law" He joked earning a low chuckle from the brunette. Seeing that he'd earned her attention he continued "You can always wait for her here. I mean I have nothing to do until they're back and honestly, I'm a little bored, so how about going for a coffee or something? We haven't talked in ages." He said with a hopeful smile and a bit of puppy dog eyes.

"I'll stop falling for these Swan puppy eyes, one of these days." She teased before letting Nate escort her to the elevator.

"It's impossible and you know it, Miss Mills." He teased back as the door closed behind them.

* * *

Once they arrived at the diner across the street and had placed their orders, Regina started catching up with the blond Swan.

"How are the preparations for the wedding going?" She asked intrigued as she watched Nate fidgeting with the napkins. She could tell that the man was nervous since Emma was doing the same when she was anxious.

"Hmm?" He said distractedly.

"The wedding, I said. Is everything going smoothly?" She asked again, narrowing her eyes at Nate's odd behaviour.

"Uhmm, yes everything's fine." He lied, his eyes not meeting Regina's.

"You do know, you have the same mannerisms as your sister so I can tell that you're lying. Out with it mister." She said a bit playfully causing him to relax.

"I'm nervous about the wedding." He confessed.

"You don't say." She teased, but upon seeing his hopeless expression she decided to end his misery and help him.

"Is it about the preparations? Because as far as I know, the wedding is in four months which is plenty of time. And from what I've heard from Emma you have your parents help." Regina said.

"No, it's not about that." He sighed.

"Are you getting cold feet?" She asked again, this time squeezing his hand with her own.

"No..I don't know...maybe?" He groaned and then he explained. "I want to marry Elsa. She's smart, gorgeous, funny and very very patient with me. I couldn't have asked for a more amazing partner and you know that. I had a lot of relationships in the past but none of them made me feel the way Elsa does." He said honestly.

"She is truly remarkable." Regina agreed.

"I know! And that's why I have these seconds thoughts let's just say. I don't want to screw up." He divulged.

"Screw up how?" Regina asked confused.

"Like.." But he stopped before he could tell anything else. Regina, however, knew what he was about to say.

"Like Emma did." She provided,

"I'm sorry" He apologized.

"Don't be. Emma screwed up. But not all of us are Emma. Hell even Emma's isn't that Emma anymore." Regina pointed out.

"I don't want to hurt her," Nate added. "I dread only in the thought that I'll do something stupid and she'll hate me for it. I don't want her to hate me."

"Nate, honey, there are always fights and misunderstandings in a marriage. All marriages are like that. Don't tell me that you thought that me and Emma were the perfect couple even before our divorce. Because we weren't. We'd fight a lot. About me being too strict with the kids. About her working all the time. But we always tried not to go to bed being mad at each other. I'm not saying that fighting all the time is healthy but not fighting at all is not normal too." She reasoned.

"But as you said minutes ago, I have Emma's mannerisms and we share genes. What if I cheat on Elsa too? What if I stop loving her?" He said and his eyes were shining with tears.

"Okay, first of all, do you think that Emma did what she did because she stopped loving me?" She asked instead of answering his questions.

"No. Emma loves you." He rushed to reply, making Regina chuckle.

"Exactly. Emma did what she did because she felt trapped. I don't justify her actions but I'm sure she didn't do it because she didn't love me."

"You women are so confusing." He sighed.

"We are. But the point is that being a cheater is not about genes. First of all, when I met Emma, she didn't strike me as the person to do such a thing. Yet she did. But have David done something like that to your mother? No. And you share the same genes too. So instead of taking into consideration only Emma's flaws or our relationship, think about your parents'. They have been married for almost thirty-five years. They love each other unconditionally. They have a loving family. Your father is a model of the perfect husband. Don't focus on the negatives, Mr Swan. Elsa is very happy to have you." She finished with a smile.

"Thank you, Regina." He smiled back at her, this time more confidently.

"And speaking of the blonde woman who stole your heart, where is she?" Regina inquired.

"Her sister's in town and she is in a search of the perfect wedding dress." Nate rolled her eyes. "With new cases coming every day at the office and the wedding, we hardly see each other anymore." He pouted earning a laugh from Regina.

"Εnough about my wedding. Tell me about you and my idiotic sister." Nate prompted and so Regina did.

* * *

It was more than two hours when Emma finally came back at the office. Regina waited and waited but upon seeing that the other woman wouldn't show up any time now and with Kathryn wanting her help at the clinic, she left after spending an hour with Nate. He tried to persuade her to stay for a few more minutes but David had texted him, saying that they would be late and that was the cue for Regina to leave. Nate nodded his head in understanding and said that he'd talk to his sister, before paying for their coffees and accompanying Regina back at the firm's parking lot. Saying their goodbyes and arranging to meet at some point during the next week, Regina left.

Emma entered her office after her busy day at the court. As she opened the door, she saw her brother sitting in her chair, his feet popped up on the desk while playing with his phone.

"Hey, big sister!" He greeted her with a big smile.

"How come you never have work to do?" She sassed as she abandoned her coat and briefcase on the couch, before collapsing on it with a dramatic sigh.

"I take it the case didn't go that well." He assumed.

"A fucking disaster. We haven't reached an agreement yet, so more meetings and more studying to do." She whined.

"Βe a lawyer dad said. It'll be fun, he said." Nate teased, managing to make his sister laugh.

"Is it late to quit and become a bail bonds person or something?" She joked.

"Bail bonds person huh? That's rather specific."

"I saw a movie about one and I find it intriguing. Definitely a kind of job I could pursue."

"Yeah, that and a Sherrif at some small town in Maine." He played along.

"Tempting. Anyway, what are you doing here, Lil' bro?" She asked curiously.

"Regina came by." He replied and he watched as his sister made a sad face.

"Oh." She simply said.

"Yeah oh. She's been trying to talk to you for a few days now but she can't find you anywhere. I told her to wait but she was busy." He informed.

"Ι needed some time." Emma lied.

"You wanna try that again," Nate said and Emma scowled at him

"I was hurt okay. She blamed me for something that I had no control over. I also didn't want Henry to find out about us like that but I didn't lash out at Regina. I tried to remain calm." She admitted.

"And that was the right thing to do. It wouldn't help if both Regina and you freaked out. But you have also to understand Regina. She panicked. I don't justify the fact that she blamed you but with you trying to avoid her now, you make it worse. Instead of going ahead you make steps back. Talk to Regina." He suggested.

"And what if she's mad at me for not reaching out all these days? She'll think I'm being immature."

"She doesn't. She just thinks that you don't want anything to do with her and she's really worried."

"I don't know. Maybe us being together was a mistake." She sighed.

"You're being both ridiculous and over dramatic right now. Go get you woman Emma." He urged by standing up and going next to his sister. He grabbed her by her arms, successfully making her stand up to, before putting his hands on her shoulders.

"You're not a coward and right now you'll go at the clinic, you'll say you're sorry and you'll kiss her like you've never kissed her before. Understood!" He barked.

"Yes, sir!" Emma roared as she saluted her brother making both of them laugh.

* * *

After her talk with her brother, Emma didn't waste any more minutes in sulking. That's why she exited the firm, got into her car and left with one destination in mind; Regina's clinic. It didn't take her long to arrive there since the roads were almost empty and Emma speeded once or twice. So exactly ten minutes after Emma left the firm, she arrived outside the clinic. She quickly parked her car next to Regina's, exited the car without even locking it and sprinted towards the door, opening it on her way. Thankfully, the clinic was also empty so she didn't make a fool of herself in front of Regina's patients.

"Woah, easy there, tiger," Jefferson said once he saw Emma emerging into the clinic like a lunatic.

"Where's Regina?" Emma asked, not even bothering with pleasantries.

"At her office. But-" He didn't even finish as he watched Emma nodding and then rushing towards Regina's door. She didn't even bother to knock as she stormed into the office, catching Regina by surprise.

"Emma what the-" but she didn't manage to finish as Emma grabbed her face and kissed her passionately.

When the need for air became necessary, Emma let go of the brunette's lips, resting her forehead on Regina's.

"Okay, not that I'm complaining but..." Emma, though, cut her off again by kissing her. This time Regina cut the kiss short by easing her lips out of Emma's mouth.

"Emma, dear, what happened?" She asked while trying to hide a smile.

"I missed you. I'm sorry for avoiding you. I was being stupid." Emma said in one breath.

"You don't have to apologize, Emma. I'm the one who should do it. I snapped at you. I'm sorry" Regina apologized, looking Emma in the eyes.

"It's okay, I forgive you. I know that you were panicked. I just needed some time to figure things out." Emma admitted as she crouched down in front of Regina.

"I was worried," Regina whispered.

"I know and I'm sorry for not thinking of that earlier. I was hurt. I didn't mean to make you have second thoughts about our relationship."

"I didn't. I was just afraid that you'd leave me."

"Never. I'd never leave you, Regina. I love you. Always has, always will." She said, before kissing Regina once again.

"And I love you, Emma Swan." Regina smiled.

"So are we okay?" Emma asked uncertainly.

"We are okay." Regina agreed.

"Perfect." Emma beamed at her ex-wife and current girlfriend.

"There's something else though. We need to make it official." Regina prompted.

"Official how?" Emma asked confused.

"By talking to our parents and sons of course," Regina replied and Emma couldn't help but agree. It was about time they made it public.


	22. Chapter 22

When Regina finished her last appointment she and Emma who had stayed there to keep company to her girlfriend, left the clinic. During Emma's stay at the clinic, they decided that it was time not only to talk to their sons but also their parents. That's why, without wasting any time, she called her parents and in-laws for dinner on Saturday night, to announce the big news. But for now, they'd focus on their sons and how to break the news. They were pretty sure that the news would make them happy and they wouldn't have a problem with their reconciliation but their kids could be quite unpredictable when it came to big news and surprises. Still, she knew that the boys would want that and they wouldn't give them a hard time. Hopefully.

As soon as Regina opened the door, Emma in tow, little Simba came crushing on her feet.

"Hey, there big boy" She smiled at him as she crouched down to pet his head. The puppy, leaned at her touch, leaving a small woof.

"I see he became quite fond of you," Emma commented as she entered the house too, closing the door behind her.

"Well, we did share my bed a lot of times." Regina laughed as she left her and Emma's coat in the closet.

"Should I be jealous of the pup?" Emma joked as she hugged her girlfriend from behind, smelling her hair, before placing a kiss on her neck.

"Emma!" Regina chastised her, but she didn't move from her embrace.

"Emma, the boys will be here soon. I don't think the best way of finding out about us is to see us like that. Plus I need to cook. You know how hungry they are after school."

"Ugh, you're right," Emma said as she pulled away. "Anyway, how about I cook and you go and take a hot bath? You're tired."

"Is this your way of telling me that I look awful?" Regina teased, turning around to peck the blonde's lips.

"No, it's my way of telling you that firstly, I've become an awesome cook since we broke up and secondly, that I need you well rested for tonight," Emma said with a wink.

"Tonight, huh? What are your plans for tonight Miss Swan?"

"You'll see Miss Mills," Emma said cryptically as she moved towards the kitchen, leaving a chuckling Regina behind.

* * *

Emma was cooking for her sons and ex-wife when a body came behind her, and hands resting on her toned stomach.

"You know," Regina began "after all these years of us being together I never understood how, despite you eating like Tasmania's devil, you manage to have such an amazing body." Regina complimented.

"I do workout a lot." Emma shrugged with a glint in her eyes.

"Sex doesn't count dear." Regina pointed out, chuckling.

"But running does smartypants." At Regina's confused expression Emma explained "After we broke up, I found out that running helped a lot..you know with all the heartbreak and stuff. It was a good way of getting rid of all that energy. Plus, I didn't let myself think a lot, so it definitely worked."

"Emma..I'm so sorry." Regina apologized while kissing her girlfriend's cheek.

"Regina.." Emma sighed before turning around to face the brunette "I am sorry for everything. You did what you had to do and of course, I'm not blaming you for divorcing me. It was the right thing to do. Hadn't we divorced, we would probably still be in a somewhat loveless marriage, fighting all the time and not being happy. But now look at us; this divorce made us better people." Emma smiled at the other woman.

"You and your Swan charm" Regina laughed before kissing Emma.

"Ew, not again," Henry whined as soon as he entered the kitchen's door and came face to face with his mothers kissing.

"Henry, I love you but you have the worst timing ever." Emma groaned before turning to look at her son.

"It's not my fault you guys can't keep your hands to yourself." He said as he made a disgusted face "When will the honeymoon phase be over?" He growled.

"Mhmm let me think about that kiddo.," Emma said, making a small pause as she pretended to think. "Probably never" And to make her point she grabbed Regina by her hoodie and kissed her deeply.

"You are disgusting." He yelled before running out of the room.

"He's gonna hate us," Regina commented.

"Nah...He's happy. This is what he wanted. For us to get back together. He brought this on himself."

"Still don't try to push his buttons all the time. He's a teenager." Regina pointed out and Emma nodded before looking at her phone.

"Now, go get your sons you evil temptress, or I'll never finish cooking." Emma pecked Regina's lips before practically shoving her out of the kitchen.

* * *

Regina, along with her sons this time, returned home exactly twenty minutes after she left. She had told the boys that a surprise was waiting for them at the house and the boys, on their way home, tried to guess what or who might that be. So, as soon as she opened the door the boys sprinted inside the house looking for their surprise.

"I don't see anything mommy," Ezra said with a sad face, convinced that his mother played a trick on them.

"You might want to check the kitchen, sweetheart," Regina instructed him as she helped him out of his coat, before letting them run towards his favourite room.

"Mama!" The boys screeched as soon as they saw their mother in front of the stove, cooking.

"Look at my big boys." She exclaimed as she scooped both of them up in her arms, blowing raspberry kisses on their cheeks, earning squeals from the loves of her life's.

"Mama stop," Ezra yelled and he tried to wriggle out of his mother's hug but Emma's grip on them was really strong.

"I'll let you if you give mama a big kiss." She said and the boy gave her one peck, before once again trying to pull away.

"Nah ah, not enough, I want a long kiss from Prince Ezra and Prince Colin."

"Fine" the younger boy huffed before kissing his mother. Colin followed suit and when Emma kissed them back, she let them on the floor. Regina who was watching them all this time managed to snap a picture, before entering the room to start setting the table.

"How was your day at school honey?" Regina asked Colin who was helping her by bringing plates and cutleries.

"Boring," He pouted in a very Emma way. "Coach Thompson made us play soccer!" Colin said in a disgusting tone.

"Hey, soccer is awesome." Ezra chimed in from where he was sitting, on the kitchen island, trying Emna's cooking.

"You say that for every team-sport Bubbah! I'm just saying that tennis is more refined." The boys shrugged and Ezra was ready to answer but Emma stopped him.

"Woah, this escalated quickly. Bubbah, what did we say about respecting other people's opinion?"

"You're right, sorry mama." The boy nodded while bowing his head.

"And Col, you don't need to be that defensive. You like tennis, he likes soccer. But your gym teacher doesn't care about that. Yeah, I know that soccer makes you all sweaty and is a bit brute for you but Ezra likes it and he's also very good at it." Emma reasoned. The boy also nodded before apologizing to his younger brother.

"Alright and now that we settled that, how about having dinner? And after that, mom and I need to talk to you guys." Emma said before looking at the brunette who was passing by her.

"You really did step up your parenting game. I'm impressed."Regina smiled as she continued with the task at hand.

After dinner, which went pretty well despite a few moments of bickering between the three brothers, which also Emma handled like a pro, the couple along with their three sons moved towards the living room, with a cup of hot cocoa each and a few cookies.

"Alright boys, me and your mom really wanted to talk to you about something. Henry and Colin already know about that but.." but she was promptly cut off by Ezra.

"Why does Henry know?" He pouted but stopped it after Regina's glare.

"We didn't do it on purpose buddy, let's just say he was at the right place the right time...or wrong...depending on who you're asking," Emma explained.

"So what is it?" Ezra asked curiously and quite fed up with all this.

"Okay, do you remember when you with aunt Ruby made a fake profile for me and Emma so we could get back together? And we grounded you about that.?" Regina asked and earned a nod from the younger boy.

"Well, let's just say that it did work." Emma smiled at her sons.

"What do you mean?" Ezra asked, not really sure what that means and not really wanted to get his hopes up.

"It means that you and your mother are back together honey," Regina confirmed. His reaction was priceless. They saw how their sons' faces instantly brighten up and how they jumped from the couch and launched in their arms.

"I knew it!" Colin exclaimed as he hugged Emma tightly.

"So you're both okay with this?" Regina asked just to be sure.

"Of course we are, mom! That's what we wanted since you broke up. For us to be family again." Colin gave her a toothy grin.

"Does this mean that mama will stay with us again?" Ezra asked innocently.

"Uh...not right now buddy," Emma said with a sad expression, hating herself for making her son's face fall.

"Why? You two are together now, why can't mama stay with us?" Colin said in a petulant tone.

"Colin.," Regina warned but the boy was having none of it.

"Don't Colin me. You and mama have been together for almost two months now. That's a lot. Surely she can come back here."

"It's not that easy buddy. We need some time before making such a huge step." Emma explained.

"No, you just don't want us to be happy," Colin yelled before storming off from the living room and going to his room.

Henry who has been silent all this time sighed before standing up.

"I got this." He said and he was about to leave the room before Regina stopped him.

"You don't have to do this Henry."

"I know, but Colin is as stubborn as Emma. He's not going to listen to either of you right now. Let me handle this." He said and after his mothers' nod, he left.

"How about playing a game Bubbah, until the boys are back?" Emma asked while tickling the younger boy's belly.

Upstairs Henry arrived outside his brother's room. He knocked only once before entering the room, watching his brother sitting on his bed while playing with his Nintendo.

"I don't wanna talk, Hen." The boy sighed as he faced away from his older brother.

"Then I'll talk and you'll listen," Henry said smugly as he sat next to the other boy.

"Why did you get so mad at moms?" Henry asked softly while removing his sneakers to lay next to Colin.

"You say I wouldn't have to talk." The boy sassed earning an eye roll from Henry.

"Just answer smart ass." Henry nudged him.

"Because they're still making excuses. I don't think it's that hard for mom to move back here. It's not like they know each other only a month or something." The boy shrugged.

"True, but as you said they've known each other for almost fifteen years. And yet when they were married, they still managed to fight. They want to see if they can work this out and do it right this time."

"They did it the first time."

"The divorce suggests otherwise Col. Look, I know you want mom back here but they need time. You don't remember it because you were little but mom and Emma fought a lot. Who's to say that if Emma moves back here they won't start fighting again? If that happens, they're gonna break up again and this time will be permanent. We don't want that now, don't we?"

"Of course not. I just want to wake up and have breakfast with both my moms. To come home from school and find them both here." The boy said, making Henry's heart clench.

"I want that too. We have to be patient though. If we want to be a family again, we need to do it their way. But if you come with me downstairs we may be able to make a few arrangements so we could see Emma more." Henry suggested and Colin's face lit up.

"Okay big bro, let's see what you have up your sleeve." Colin smiled before getting up and following Henry downstairs.

In the living room, Emma and Ezra were playing a video game while Regina was looking anxiously towards the stairs. She wanted so much to go upstairs and talk to her son but she had to trust Henry to talk through him and make him understand the reasons why Emma and Regina refused to move together that soon.

Thankfully, after a few more minutes of waiting, the two boys emerged from the stairs and into the living room. Henry sat between Regina and Ezra and Colin next to his blonde mother. Regina coughed, signalling Emma to pause the game, before allowing Colin to speak.

"I'm sorry for reacting that way. I spoke with Henry and now I understand why you don't want ma to move with us and you're right. Though, I want to make a few requests." Colin talked like the mature boy he usually was, making Regina proud for raising such a thoughtful boy, for raising such three amazing sons.

"What is it, sweetheart?" She asked curiously.

"I want to see mom more. Can't she stay here with us a few nights? Or have dinner with us and drive us from and to school? You know, do things like we used to do minus the living all together.." The boy suggested.

"Of course we can do this kiddo." Emma smiled and the boys looked at his other mother for confirmation.

"We...can do that." Regina smiled encouragingly.

"So...that means...I dunno..that mom can stay here tonight?" The boy asked cheekily.

"Do you want that Col?" Emma asked, ruffling Colin's hair. The boy nodded enthusiastically.

"Then, I suppose mama can stay here tonight." Regina winked at her firstborn earning a fist pump in the air from the brunet boy. "But.." she was quick to add "that doesn't mean you are staying past your bedtime." That though, wasn't enough to deteriorate the boys' joy.

"Alright gentlemen, let's put some pj's and then how about a Disney movie?" Emma suggested and all her sons showed their enthusiasm by launching themselves at her, knocking her down on the couch.

* * *

Saturday rolled over and Regina, with Emma's help, was getting ready for the dinner with their parents. Emma could see that Regina was pretty nervous as she has snapped twice at her and Colin, who asked her for some money for some school supplies.

"Regina.." Emma sighed, fed up with watching her girlfriend acting like that.

"What?" Regina growled as she stirred the food with much more force than necessary.

"It's going to be okay you know. Your mom and my dad already know. We just basically need to tell your father and my mom, who compared to the other two, are much easier to talk to. Your father is literally the nicest person I know and my mom is...you know my mom." Emma joked, earning a chuckle from Regina.

"I know and I don't know why I'm being so nervous." Regina huffed as she abandoned the pan and let herself fall into Emma's embrace.

"You worry about how they're going to react and that's understandable but it's only these two people and the mildest ones. Plus the boys will be there to ease the tension." Emma smiled reassuringly.

"Thank you, babe." Regina kissed Emma deeply when a cough stopped them.

"I can see why Henry's avoiding you when you are alone." Colin teased as he moved towards his mother.

"Colin," Regina said as he crouched down to come face to face with her son. "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. It's just that I'm a little nervous with your grandparents coming over and I lashed out at you. It was totally uncalled for and I won't do it again. I hope you can forgive me " Regina apologized while touching her son's cheek.

"I figured." The boy shrugged. "But it's okay." The boy smiled at his mother who kissed his cheek.

"And as for the money I have some at my desk's first drawer," Regina informed him and watched as the boy hugged her and ran towards the home study.

"See? Things are much easier where you're not stressed." Emma teased earning a slap on the forearm by the brunette.

"Now go get ready because The Mills and The Swans will be here shortly," Emma said. Regina nodded and turned to leave before Emma's voice stopped her.

"And Gina...We can do it." Emma said encouragingly to which Regina replied with a megawatt smile.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys! Only two chapters have left!

A shower and a few small touches later, Regina was in the living room watching her sons playing a board game while fidgeting. In less than ten minutes, her and Emma's parents would be there. Anxiety came back once again. Sure Emma managed to calm her down just a bit but as she was looking at the minutes ticking by and her parents' arrival was closer and closer she couldn't help but feel nervous once again.

"If you're again thinking about the dinner and your parents I swear I'll call them and cancel it," Emma warned, catching Regina's attention.

"It would be a good idea." She whispered as she avoided Emma's eyes.

"Regina..." Emma sighed, moving next to her girlfriend.

"I know" The brunette growled. "But you know, there isn't a button so I can turn my emotions off. I'm gonna be anxious until they're here. So any advice right now wouldn't be helpful."

"I'm not trying to advise you, Regina, I'm trying to calm you down. Your heart is bitting like crazy. If this dinner is too much for you then I'm cancelling it." Emma said firmly and stood up to make her point but Regina quickly grabbed her, bringing her to her own level.

"Sure Miss Swan and then we'll have to reschedule so I'll have to go through this twice." Regina hissed.

"Look, if it's also gonna end up in a fight, I'll take the boys and I'll go to my apartment," Emma warned again. Thankfully, that did the trick and Regina stopped talking back, relaxing at Emma's soothing touch. The moment though didn't last long as seconds later the bell rang indicating the arrival of their first guests.

"And so it begins.." Regina murmured before standing up. She fixed her hair, smoothed her black pencil skirt and with a sturdy pace she walked towards the door. With two deep breaths, she opened the door to reveal her mother and father.

"Mija," Henry senior said as he rushed to hug his precious daughter.

"Daddy" Regina smiled, hugging him tightly. She then pulled back and kissed her mother's cheek.

"Good afternoon mother" She smiled at her, letting them both enter the household.

"How are you darling?" Cora inquired while removing her coat and passing it to Regina.

"I'm really good, mother, thanks for asking." Regina gave her a nervous smile. Cora could sense that something was bothering her younger daughter but before she could ask, Regina spoke again.

"Uhmm, dinner will be ready soon, why don't you go to the living room? The boys and Emma are there." Regina informed before practically running towards the kitchen for a few minutes of solitude.

"How are my favourite grandsons?" Henry asked and the boys, after hearing their grandfather's voice, rushed to hug him, almost knocking him down.

"Go easy on you grandfather kiddos," Emma said while standing up to greet her ex mother-n-law.

"Emma," Cora said in a tone that didn't give away anything.

"Cora," Emma replied in the same tone before giving her hand to the other woman. After that, Sir Henry took Cora's place, though, his handshake was accompanied by his famous warm hugs and a pat on Emma's shoulder.

"How are you, dear Emma? I haven't seen you in a long time." Henry said before taking a seat next to Emma.

"Oh, you know same old same old. Between the firm and spending time with the munchkins I barely have time for any social call." Emma replied with a smile at the older man.

"Ah, I see. Is Bobby giving you a hard time?" He asked curiously.

"It's not Bobby that's giving me hard time. We had a few important cases the past few months and even though we are working all together to solve them they still require a lot of time."

"I understand." The man nodded before turning to face his grandsons, addressing Colin first. "And you lil' man. How is school?"

"Eh," The boy answered lazily while sitting on his granddad's lap, hugging his neck. "Boring as usual." Henry was about to continue with his questions but Regina's voice stopped him.

"Mother, what did I say about candies?" Regina huffed when she caught her mother passing chocolate bars to Ezra and a few money to Henry.

"Oh come on Regina, you don't expect me not to spoil my grandsons!" Cora said exasperatingly at which Regina rolled her eyes.

"You're impossible," Regina growled while taking a seat next to her ex-wife something that didn't go unnoticed by either Henry or Cora. Before either of them could comment on this though, the bell rang once again.

"I'll get" Emma announced and left the room to open the door.

"Mom, Dad," Emma said once she opened the front door, launching herself at both of them.

"Good afternoon sweetheart," Mary Margaret said in her usual soothing voice.

"Good afternoon kiddo," David said, quickly hugging his only daughter.

"Come in, come in." The blonde let her parents enter the mansion and closed the door behind them "Everyone's in the living room" Emma informed guiding her parents in the big room.

"I see it's a family reunion," Cora said and stood up to greet the blonde's parents.

"Yeah, we wanted to have a family dinner like the old times," Emma replied while awkwardly rubbing her neck.

"Well, I must say with you two being separated it's something we didn't pursue." Μary Margaret joked earning a nervous laughter from the two lovers.

"Shall we continue this to the dining room?" Regina asked smoothly "Dinner is ready" She announced before escorting everyone to the room and shortly leaving while dragging Emma along with her in the kitchen.

"Okay phase one was a success," Regina said while licking her lips nervously.

"Phase one? What are you talking about?" Emma asked confused.

"They're all here and we managed to move to the dining room in one piece." Regina elaborated.

"Well, they barely talked." Emma shrugged earning a death glare from the brunette.

"Don't worry babe," Emma said soothingly and pecked her girlfriend's lips. "Now, come on I'm starving." She growled before taking the plate with the lasagna on it and leaving the room.

 

* * *

 

The dinner proceeded smoothly without any awkward moments between the occupants of the big dining table. Thank god their sons were with them, occupying most of their grandparents' time by asking and answering questions. Emma and Regina mostly remained silent, only speaking when being addressed. However, they couldn't stop stealing small glances at each other, deciding when it would be the best time to announce the news. When they were at the dessert, that was when Emma gave Regina a firm nod, indicating that now was the best time.

Regina wiped her mouth with a napkin and coughed to get anyone's attention. When everyone was looking at her she opened her mouth.

"First of all, I want to thank all of you for coming here. I know that you are confused as to why I and Emma decided to have a dinner at my place, inviting all of you, since we are separated. Well, the reason we mostly had this reunion was because we wanted to tell you something. Some of you already know and some of you figured it out." Regina began.

"Regina, is everything okay?" Henry senior asked with a worried expression on his face.

"Yes, daddy. In fact, everything's more than okay. The reason we invited you here today is to tell you that I and Emma are dating." Regina dropped the bomb, waiting a few moments to let the news sink in.

"You mean that you are back together?" Mary Margaret asked for clarification and Regina refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Yes, dear, Emma and I are back together." She confirmed.

"How?" Henry asked and at Regina's hurt expression he rushed to elaborate "Don't get me wrong Mija, I'm super excited for this. I love Emma as my own daughter and you are clearly meant to be but I just want the whole story here." He smiled warmly at his daughter taking her hand at his.

"Well, after I broke up with Mal, my dear sons decided that Emma and I should get back together. So they made for me and Emma a profile at a dating app and with Ruby's help, they managed to both make us talk and keep our identities unknown to each other. They succeeded it as on our first date I was completely shocked when I saw Emma standing in front of me. But somehow, I almost expected it. I mean yeah, I really didn't know with whom I was talking, but sometimes when I was trying to picture this mysterious woman, Emma's face would always come in mind. Also, yes I was angry at them when I realized that tricked us both but, I was also happy. So we decided to continue dating without of course saying anything to anyone, not even them. They thought that they had failed."

"And when did they figure it out?" Henry asked.

"They didn't. We told Colin and Ezra and well, Henry caught us in a compromising position." Regina answered, her cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

"Can we please not talk about this again?" Henry groaned, his cheeks also blushing.

"It's not my fault, sweetheart, your grandfather asked." Regina grinned at him, loving watching him blushing.

"Did you already know?" Mary Margaret asked her husband when she saw him continuing eating his pie, unfazed by the news.

"Eh, let's just say I also caught them in a compromising position," He said, winking at Henry who glared at him.

"And you didn't tell me anything?" Mary Margaret said in shock.

"Come on babe, Emma didn't want everyone to know and I respected her wishes." Poor David tried to get his ass out of this mess and thankfully Cora helped.

"I also knew" She chimed in.

"Don't tell me you also caught them like that." Mary Margaret said with wide eyes.

"Oh no. I caught Regina speaking on the phone with Emma, telling her not to come over. I guess I did catch them before the compromising position." She grinned at Henry.

"Will you please stop saying that?" Henry whined as he let his head fall on the table "It was not funny. I'm traumatized by this"

"What mama and mom were doing Hen?" Ezra asked nonchalantly and Emma tried to suppress a laugh.

"Uhm, nothing Bubbah, eat your pie." Henry tried to evade the question but of course, Ezra would persist.

"No, I wanna know!" He pouted.

"We were playing Scrabble, sweety." Regina lied.

"And why Hen is so upset?"

"Because Henry doesn't like Scrabble kiddo." Emma helped.

"I like Scrabble but I don't like watching my moms playing it." Henry sassed making all the adults' heads in the table turn and look at him.

"I'm pretty sure we are not talking about Scrabble anymore." David murmured at the same time Regina asked loudly;

"What do you mean you like Scrabble? Since when are you playing Scrabble?"

"Mom, don't be silly we play a lot of games with Henry," Ezra said innocently and Emma couldn't help herself as she let out a bark of laughter.

"Emma this is serious," Regina warned and Emma coughed to stop herself from laughing more.

"I really do love teenage years," Cora said with a grin to her daughter.

"Mother" Regina growled.

"Don't mother me, dear. I've been where you are now. Or do you think I forget the first time you came to me saying that you played Scrabble."

"Mother!" Regina yelled, her chicks turning once again pink.

"Oh do tell Cora, when was the first time Regina played Scrabble?" Emma asked with a glint in her eyes.

"Sixteen, dear, she played Scrabble with that buffoon Keith, I still can't fathom what did you find in him," Cora said in a disgusting tone.

"Yeah, Regina what did you find in Keith?" Emma winked.

"Why did you start playing Scrabble so old mom?" Ezra asked.

"Okay, this is getting out of hand. Ezra baby if you finished with your pie you can go play with Colin in the living room. Emma, I'm not even bothering to answer to you. And Henry after this we need to talk." At which the boy rolled his eyes.

Once all the boys left the dining room, Regina spoke again. " Okay, does any of you have questions? And before you ask I'm referring to me and Emma's relationship and not Scrabble."

"Are you planning or remarrying?" Mary Margaret asked.

"God no."

"Nope." Emma and Regina replied simultaneously before Regina elaborating. "First of all, we're still at the beginning of our relationship. We haven't even talked about moving in together. But we have already decided that we are not doing it again. Perhaps in the future, we'll get engaged if we feel like it but as for a marriage, it's a big no from both of us. In that way, if things go south once again we won't have to go through another divorce."

"Perhaps things won't go south this time." Mary Margaret said hopefully.

"Look, the first time we married we didn't think much the possibility of a divorce. Yet we did it. Maybe one day we decide that we are not good for each other. Why put ourselves through this again? It's painful and time-consuming. I'm not saying that we are going to break up but you never know." Emma said.

"Exactly. And to be honest, the first time, we did it for us and for Henry. Now Henry's almost off to college, the boys already know that they have a loving family and we don't need any validation for our relationship. We're going to do it right this time." Regina said with sheer determination.

"And to answer your question, no we don't have anything else to ask." Cora provided. "We are happy that you managed to work it out and if Emma makes you happy, that makes us happy too."

"The same goes for us Ems," David spoke. "We love Regina and we're glad you are back together. And if you ever need us for babysitting, we will always be there." He said while winking at his daughter in law.

"Thank you, dad. That means a lot." Emma smiled with gratitude at her father.

 

* * *

 

After their dinner, both Emma and Regina's parents decided that there was no point in extending their visit. It was already pretty late and the boys wanted to spend some time with their mothers alone before going to bed. Regina planned a dinner with her family for tomorrow and with that everyone left, leaving the family of five alone. Regina was pretty relieved when she closed the door once everyone had left. She was glad that it went well and that their parents were okay with them rekindling their romance. Truth to be told she knew that their parents wouldn't oppose to that. But hearing the actual words helped her be more confident about their relationship and her choice to be together with Emma. Of course, some people would judge her for it but as long as her loved ones were by her side nothing else mattered. She sighed in relief and went closer to Emma who was watching TV.

"Are you happy baby?" Emma asked once she sensed her wife's presence next to her.

"Very. I'm so glad we did this."

"Yeah now...because you were all nervous and ready to strangle me earlier." Emma joked.

"I'm so sorry baby." Regina apologized by kissing Emma's neck.

"Shall we continue this upstairs?" Emma offered, knowing too well that starting making out on the couch would lead to much more, something that would most definitely traumatize their kids.

"Perhaps later? We still need to talk to Henry." Regina reasoned.

"Nope, you need to talk to Henry. I'm not taking part in this conversation."

"Oh, he's your son too Miss Swan."

"Oh, I know Miss Mills, that's why I'm avoiding it. I'm not ready to hear about Henry's sex life. Besides, you were the one who gave him the talk and the one that he confides to about his crushes. I'm pretty sure with me there, things will get awkward quickly."

"You have a point." Regina agreed and stood up.

"He's grown up so much, hasn't he?" She asked rhetorically.

"He has," Regina said before leaving Emma alone in the living room.

 

* * *

 

"Henry?" Regina said after knocking at her son's door. A soft come in came from inside, allowing Regina to enter the room. Henry was only wearing a pyjama bottom while playing at his laptop.

Regina chose to sit at his bed, watching her son's back and his hand moving the mouse.

"Henry, can you please stop your game for a second? I want us to talk." Regina implored. She was sure that he was going to ignore her but after a few seconds, she saw the game pausing and Henry turned around to face her.

"Is this about my Scrabble comment?" He asked even though he knew the answer.

"Well, if Scrabble was a metaphor for sex then yes," Regina replied while watching her son's ears going pink at the mention of the word sex.

"Do you wanna tell me about it?" She tried again.

"Ugh, I both want and don't want to." He growled as he came to sit next to her. "I mean it's embarrassing."

"Having a sex life is not embarrassing Henry. It's completely natural. You're also at an age that your hormones are crazy. And to be honest, you being sexually active is not something that thrills me as it reminds me the fact that you are not the toddler Ι once fell in love with but, I don't expect you to be celibate for the rest of your life. I just hope it was..a bit later." Regina admitted.

"So, do you think I rushed it?" Henry asked with a sad expression.

"I can't know that if you don't tell me some details. Like with whom and when."

"With Violet. She...uhm...remember that night I told you I was having a sleepover at Nick's? Well, I lied. Her father was out of town and she invited me over. At first, we were just goofing around but one thing led to another and next thing I knew we were naked at her bed." Henry said, his eyes not meeting Regina's.

"Did you use protection?" She inquired.

"Of course mom. I'm not stupid." Henry huffed.

"I'm not saying that you are, sweetheart but you said it happened fast."

"Well, yeah but not that fast."

"I'm glad. You know your mother was only one year older than you when she got pregnant by your dad."

"First of all, he's not my dad. He's only a sperm donor. Secondly, I'm not him. I'd never do that to Violet. I'd never leave her face that alone. Also, we were extra careful." Henry reassured and Regina couldn't be prouder of her son.

"I'm proud of you Henry. Violet's so lucky to have you."

"I don't know about that." He murmured.

"What do you mean honey?"

"We haven't talked about that ever since. She's not answering my texts and she's avoiding me at school. And I don't understand why. I mean, we had a great time. She told me so. But after that nothing." Henry admitted.

"Well, a girl's first time can be overwhelming. That doesn't mean that you did something wrong or that she didn't enjoy it. She just needs some time to fully realize that she's not a girl anymore and that she's becoming a woman. Give her some time and I'm pretty sure she'll reach out to you soon." Regina advised.

"Thanks, mom. AndI'm sorry for lying to you and not telling you about this. I just didn't want you to get mad."

"I would never get mad at you Henry, especially for something like that. You did something that it felt right and it was. I can't punish you for that. And you also know the rules. Respect any girl's wishes and always use protection."

"I will. Thanks again."

"You're welcome, sweety." And with that Regina left Henry's room.

 

* * *

 

"How did it go?" Emma asked as soon as Regina entered the living room.

"It wasn't awkward so I think okay," Regina replied, reclaiming her seat next to Emma before continuing. "It was with Violet and he used protection so nothing to worry about."

"I like Violet, I'm so happy it wasn't with Nick's sister," Emma said in relief.

"Why would his first time be with Ava and not with his girlfriend?" Regina asked confused.

"Well, he and Violet broke up for a while and he did make out with Ava at Nick's party. Plus he had a crush on her since he was little and she's now studying at college."

"Nah, Henry isn't like that. He's too sweet to just have sex with a girl he feels nothing about." Regina reassured and Emma nodded.

"And now that we solved that too, how about telling me about Keith?" Emma asked with an evil grin on her face.

"Goodbye Miss Swan," Regina said as she tried to stand up but Emma pulled her down on the couch.

"Come on Gina, don't I deserve to know about your first?" She asked with her puppy dog eyes on.

"Ugh fine. His name was Keith, he was a senior and a quarterback. He had a crush on me since the beginning of this year and I knew it but I didn't really like him. It happened at a party that one of his friends was throwing. He invited me, we had a few drinks and next thing I knew we were having sex in his car's backseat. And yes I deeply regretted it because a few months later I met Daniel. Of course, Keith bragged about it at him but Daniel didn't care." Regina smiled fondly at the memory of her ex-boyfriend.

"I wish I had met him," Emma said.

"You'd be best buddies. He was so sweet and an absolute dork. I think you'd love him."

"I know babe. Anyway, I should get going. It's pretty late." Emma said and she was about to leave when Regina's voice stopped her mid-way.

"Emma? Stay with me tonight."

And that was enough for Emma to discard her jacket and cuddle with her girlfriend.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter will be probably posted on Thursday ^_^

Regina was at the clinic, doing mundane paperwork when her phone rang. It was almost a month after she and Emma had talked to their parents about their relationship and things were going pretty great between the pair. They still hadn't made the big step of moving in together but Emma was spending a lot of time at the mansion with Regina and her sons and vice versa. The boys were happier than ever as they would see their other mother more times during the week, having family dinners and watching movies.

"Good afternoon, Miss Mills" A familiar voice was heard through the phone, making Regina smile.

"Good afternoon to you too, Miss Swan. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Regina asked curiously.

"Oh you know, I was on the court this morning and I finished early so I thought why not surprising my beautiful girlfriend?" Emma replied.

"Surprise me how?" Regina asked more intrigued.

"Well, right now, I'm at the clinic's parking lot waiting for you to accept my lunch invitation," Emma answered, making Regina spin the chair around and come face to face with the window. She drew the curtains open and saw the all too familiar white SUV parked next to her black Mercedes.

"You're unbelievable" Regina shook her head, trying to hide the smile on her face.

"The smile on your face tells me otherwise, Miss Mills." Emma pointed out and Regina scowled immediately as if Emma didn't know what effect she had on her.

"I'll be there in five," Regina informed before hanging up. She quickly stacked up the papers in a neat pile, removed her reading glasses and grabbed her purse. which was next to her. Flicking her wrist inside her hair so she can give it some volume, she got up and walked out of the office.

"Jeff, I'm going out for lunch, if anyone calls, tell them I'll be back at 2." She informed her secretary before blowing him a kiss and leaving the building. Her next stop was Emma's car, a few feet away from the clinic's entrance.

"Hey, babe." Emma greeted her girlfriend with a peck on the lips.

"Good afternoon, dear. How has your day been?" Regina asked while adjusting her seat belt as Emma drove away from the clinic.

"Eh, a bit boring to be honest. The case was really easy and really early in the morning so I spent most of the time drinking coffee with Nate and listening to him talking about the wedding. Don't get me wrong, it's really sweet watching him be so determined about it, but damn he's so stressed, I'm afraid he's not gonna make it until then." Emma joked.

"Come on, my love, cut him some slack. You were just as nervous as he is when your wedding was two months away. And the fact that he's a perfectionist and he wants everything to be in place doesn't help at all. At least let him enjoy it. You only get married once." Regina reasoned by also defending her brother-in-law.

"Yeah, tell me that when Graham will be getting married. And spoiler alert; It's in ten months from now." Emma winked at the brunette. She knew that Regina was chill about this because Nate was Emma's brother and weddings were a family affair. She also knew that when the time for Graham's wedding came Regina would be as stressed as him.

"Hmmm." The woman hummed not wanting to comment on it, as she knew that Emma was right. Instead, she chose to change the subject.

"Anyway, how did you know that I didn't have any appointments or patients?" She asked.

"I called Jeff and asked him about your schedule. He told me that you had one appointment at three, so I figured we had plenty of time for a lunch." Emma shrugged, making Regina's heart melt.

"I'm glad you called. Kathryn had an ultrasound this afternoon which meant that my lunch buddy wasn't available. I would most likely eat by myself as Jefferson was busy with organising some files in the Archive room and I didn't want to interrupt him." Regina explained, linking her hand with Emma's, which was holding the gear stick.

"So..." Emma talked after a few moments of silence. "I asked Nate if he could watch the kids on Friday night."

"Oh?" Regina said confused. She didn't remember having made plans with Emma.

"Well, first of all, he and Elsa wouldn't mind the distraction from all the wedding preparations which, as I said earlier, are driving them crazy and I thought we wouldn't mind some time alone. I also wanted to show you something." Emma said cryptically, piquing Regina's curiosity.

"What do you have in mind, Miss Swan?"

"You'll see on Friday babes. Anyway, we're here. I have made a reservation under my name. Go find our table and I'm going to park okay?" At which Regina nodded and before exiting the vehicle, she kissed Emma lovingly.

Regina was walking towards the restaurant that Emma had made a reservation to and she was looking at her phone when she bumped into someone.

"Excuse me," She said quickly before raising her eyes to meet blue ones staring back at her.

"Mal?" Regina said surprised. Truth be told after Regina and Mal broke up neither of them reached out to each other, preferring to end whatever there was between them; relationship and friendship.

"Regina, hey," Mal said awkwardly before giving her hand to the other woman to shake.

"I haven't seen you since..." but she stopped, remembering all too clearly when it was the last time she saw the other woman.

"Since our breakup, you can say it, Regina. I'm not hurt and I most definitely don't hate you. In fact, I wanted to thank you. Sorry if we lost touch but a lot of things have happened the last few months." Mal said in one breath.

"Slow down, dear." Regina teased, breaking the ice that had formed at the beginning. "I have time, so if you want to tell me, I'm all ears." She smiled at her ex-girlfriend.

"Well, me and my ex-wife, reconciled. It was all Lily's doing actually. After our break up, I was really...upset. Lily talked with her mother telling her to come and cheer me up. She did so and well while doing so, I remembered why I married her in the first place. It took me some time to acknowledge these feelings and let myself fall in love again, but after a month or so, I let her back in. And I haven't regretted it ever since. Lily is happy. I'm happy." Mal said with a smile.

"I'm so happy for you Mal, I really am. I know things didn't end well between us but I'm glad you found what you were looking for. And I know now that this wasn't me." At that Mal chuckled.

"True. Anyway, what about you? Seeing anyone lately?" But before Regina could answer a voice answered for her.

"Regina?" Emma said as she walked towards her wife. The blonde came to stand next to her wife, clutching her waist almost possessively.

"As you can see, you're not the only one who gave their marriage a second try." Regina chuckled before continuing. "Emma and I are back together." She informed and she watched as Emma's hold on her became less strong, only feeling the ghost of her hand now.

"I'd say I'm surprised but that would be a lie." At both of their confused faces, Mal elaborated. "You are meant to be Regina, I've told you a million times. And I'm pretty sure it's not the first time someone has told you so. I'm really glad you finally realized that too though."

"We're glad too," Emma said with a stiff smile. "Anyway, I've made a reservation and we don't really have much time," She continued, not wanting to spend another minute with the other blonde.

"Yes, you're right." Regina agreed, before looking at Mal. "I'm so happy I got to see you even for a few minutes. I hope one day we can hang out again." Regina said sincerely.

"Me too, Regina." The blonde said before adding. "Goodbye ladies, have a nice lunch."

"Goodbye, Mal," Regina said before parting away.

They walked in silence for a while before Emma spoke.

"Are you glad you guys broke up?" She asked insecurely.

"Emma.." Regina sighed, before stopping in front of the blonde who almost bumped into her.

"I might have had feelings for Mal but they weren't as strong and intense as the feeling I had... have for you. Yes, we had a great time together but it was doomed. Yes, she made me happy but she would have never made me feel like you did and do. You're my one and only Miss Swan." Regina said honestly.

"And you are my one and only too, Miss Mills," Emma said back before kissing the brunette.

* * *

Emma Swan was sitting on the couch, playing a video game by herself while munching some popcorns. Regina had texted her a few minutes back telling her that she wouldn't be home for at least another hour and that she shouldn't worry about cooking as Cora would stop by to bring them dinner. So with Henry and Ezra being at their respective practices and her not having any cases to study, she decided to spend some time alone with her favourite hobby. She used to play a lot when she and Regina had broken up but after their reconciliation, she didn't have much of a time. Not that she was complaining, as spending time with her sons and Regina was ten times better than being alone, playing video games and feeding on junk food.

Her little alone time though was interrupted by Colin who entered the room, a troubled expression on his face. He quietly sat on the couch opposite to Emma while grabbing the second controller and started playing with his mother. Emma, in the beginning, chose not to comment on anything and let him talk about what's bothering him at his own pace but as the time was passing and Colin was becoming more and more distracted-he had lost so many times that Emma had lost count-she decided to speak. After pausing the game, she turned around to face her son.

"I was playing!" The boy whined when his mother stopped the game.

"You weren't. We've been playing for thirty minutes straight and you had already lost more than eight times. And that's a lot considering that this is your favourite game." Emma pointed out. "So, do you wanna tell me what's going on?" She continued while patting the empty spot next to her. The boy sighed before dragging his feet towards that seat, plopping on it, while resting his head on his mother's lap, something that really confused and worried his mother.

"What is it baby boy?" Emma asked softly as she played with his unruly hair. Both Emma and Regina had offered to cut it for him but he refused, saying that he looks better with long hair so they didn't argue with that.

"I think I have a crush on someone." The boy whispered and Emma had to lean a little so she could hear him better.

"That's wonderful, baby! And why are you so sad about it?" She asked curiously. Colin had crushes on many girls before and he was always excited about it. He never acted like that even when the girl wasn't interested in him. The boy though, wouldn't reply, making Emma freak out.

"Colin, you're scaring me. Please tell me what's going on" Emma implored, the woman's mind racing through million thoughts, most of them bad.

"I...I like a boy." The boy confessed and Emma refrained from letting her jaw drop to the floor.

"So...you like a boy." Εmma clarified.

"No...yes...I don't know." The boy huffed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Emma asked and the boy, after minutes of silence, nodded shyly.

"Well, there's this boy at my tennis practice. He's new and my coach asked me if I could help him. He was shy in the beginning but then we started talking more and he's such a sweet guy and every time I see him my stomach does all these things with the butterflies and stuff. Just like when I had a crush on Mary Black, back in third grade." The boy explained.

"And you are sad because?" She pushed a bit.

"I don't want to be gay." The boy whispered, confirming Emma's assumptions.

"Colin, look at me please," Emma said in a serious tone, making the boy sit up to look his mother in the eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with being gay. You of all people should know this. You have two mothers, one of your aunts is gay, but I don't think you've ever missed a fatherly figure. I mean grandpa David and Henry, as well as Nate and Graham, were always there for you when you needed a male opinion. You also grew up in a house full of love. I don't want you to believe that you or your brothers ever felt neglected by me or your mother."

"No never, but people make fun of gays." The boy said.

"And since when do we care what others say about us? Do you believe that I and your mother would have come this far if we listened to other people telling us what we can or can't do? Even if you're straight, people will think of something to make fun of you. It won't be your sexuality but it may be your hair or your clothes or the fact that you have two mothers. The point is that you have to ignore these people because they're jealous. If you're happy that's what makes them jealous. So don't ever think that your sexuality is going to define you. You are Colin Matthew Swan-Mills and that's all people need to know about you. That's all that matters. Besides, you still have time to figure out what you want. I'm not saying that you don't like that boy. I'm just saying that in the future you may fall in love with a woman or a man or you may be attracted at both genders. And there's nothing wrong with that. Your mother and I are going to love you no matter what. Because to us, all that matters is you be happy and a good, honest person. That's all we ever wanted for you and your brothers. With who you choose to be happy it's neither our business nor anyone else's. Always remember that."

"Thank you, mama." The boy said, with tears in his eyes before launching himself at his mother arms.

"Anytime my prince. Anyway, how about playing a video game now? Without the distractions this time?" Emma offered but the boy shook his head.

"No, I still have homework to do." The boy said sadly and stood up to leave. He stopped mid-way, though and spoke again. "And ma. Please don't tell anything to mom until I'm sure okay?" The boy implored.

"Okay, sweetheart," Emma said with a small smile.

An hour later, Emma heard the door opening, signalling the arrival of Regina and her sons', who Regina had picked up from their practices. The boys, after leaving their gear and sneakers in the closet, ran upstairs for a quick shower before dinner while Regina padded towards the living room.

"Hey, babe," Emma said without averting her eyes from the television making Regina roll her eyes. The brunette, however, pecked her lips before sitting next to her, putting her stocking-clad feet on Emma's lap.

"I see you made good use of your free time." Regina teased as she watched the blonde's eyes being glued to the screen.

"Haha." Emma mocked before pausing the game to talk to her girlfriend. "I did have a talk with Colin earlier"

"He asked about a new skateboard, didn't he?" Regina said while rolling her eyes. He had already asked her a couple of times but Regina would always say that he didn't need it and as a result, they would end up fighting about it.

"Nope. He told me he has a crush on someone."

"Colin has a crush on someone every two weeks, I fail to see something important here." Regina deadpanned.

"It's a boy this time," Emma revealed watching how her girlfriend's eyes opened widely.

"Did he.." but Emma cut her off.

"No, he didn't come out to me, because he's not sure yet. He's almost eleven Regina, he has plenty of time. I told him that he has nothing to worry about. We are going to love him no matter what." Emma said and quickly added. "Don't tell him anything though. He told me not to-" but she didn't finish as Regina had already stood up and gone upstairs to her son's bedroom. She opened the door, finding him scratching his guitar. She ran next to him and hugged him tightly. The boy was confused at the beginning but he quickly realized what this was about.

"Ma!" He said under his breath. He pulled away looking at his mother dead in the eye. "She told you, didn't she?" He asked rhetorically.

"She did, but that's not the point. The point is that your mother and I are going to love you no matter what."

"I know" He rolled his eyes in a true Regina way. "I just wanted to be sure before coming out or something. But I guess mama can't keep a secret." He sighed.

"Even if your mama hadn't told me, I would have figured it out, baby boy." Regina winked at her firstborn. "Because no matter what you do, you can't hide from me. Mother knows best, after all"

"Okay, you just quoted mother Gothel and that was creepy." He teased.

"And if you continue sassing at your mother, forget about that new skateboard." She warned and he watched as his eyes lit up.

"I knew it you were going to buy me one!" The boys shouted while pumping his fist in the air.

"Well, your birthday is in a few months away, so consider this as an early gift." She winked before hugging her son.

"I love you, mommy." The boy said as he kissed her cheek.

"And I love you too, my king."

* * *

"Emma, you're scaring me, what is this you wanted to show me?" Regina asked warily. It was Friday evening and Emma had her blindfolded as she was driving somewhere unknown to Regina.

"Be patience babe," Emma said calmly, trying not to scare the other woman. She patted her thigh as a sign of reassurance but the other woman only huffed at the touch. They were driving for a little over that fifteen minutes and that was enough for Regina to grow impatient.

"We're here," Emma said as she stopped the car.

"Finally." The woman said in exasperation. "Help me get out?" Regina half asked half demanded, making Emma roll her eyes.

"Bossy," she said underneath her breath.

"I heard you, Miss Swan."

When they were both outside the car, Emma, while holding Regina's hand and waist, guided her towards their destination. Suddenly Emma stopped and Regina almost bumped into her.

"You can remove the mask," Emma said and Regina did as she told. Upon doing so, she came face to face with a lovely house in neoclassical style. The walls were made of rock while the roof was wooden, painted in wine red.

"Emma, what is this?' Regina whispered.

"This, Regina, is our new house," Emma said, smiling at the brunette.

"What?"

"Move in with me Regina." Emma simply said.

"In here?"

"Yes. I mean the apartment is too small for all of us and honestly, the mansion is bringing me some unpleasant memories. So what a better way to start out relationship than doing so in a new house?"

"Emma, I don't know. The mansion was a gift from my grandparents when I started med school. They wanted me to have it and I wanted to start a family there."

"I know babe, and I understand your concerns. We've lived there for fifteen years. Our sons were born and raised there. But, if we really want that start, this is the right way. I love you Regina and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I understand though, that if you don't want it we can pass it to one of our children when they grow up."

"No, you're right. If we want a start we should leave behind everything that reminds us the past. So yes, Emma Swan I will move in with you. Forever this time."


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this story is over! I want to thank all of you who read both stories and kept writing nice comments. I hope you're satisfied with this ending! As for any new projects, you can catch me on SwanQueen Supernova where I'll be participating with a new story :) Thank you for everything! Until next time, dear readers.

**5 Years Later...**

Emma Swan closed the car door and sighed. Ever since Gold and her dad decided to make her a shareholder at the firm, arriving late at home was usual. Regina wouldn't complain though, as she had made a deal with her to take at least once a week a day off in order to spend the day with her and their two sons. Emma agreed to that and the times that she couldn't make it were rare. Things between her and Regina were more than excellent; they decided not to remarry, but after buying that house, almost five years ago, they were living together with their three sons and two dogs. Yes, Regina had agreed to another canine after Henry had left for college, a dalmatian pup which they named Pongo for obvious reasons. Life had been great and she didn't regret everything that had happened between her and Regina. It brought them back together, stronger than before.

She was outside for at least ten minutes. Truth was that Regina had texted her saying that she and the boys were out, so she'd be alone at the house. On one hand, the idea made her not want to go inside at an empty house. On the other hand, though, she could really use some time alone, with a bottle of wine and maybe a video game or two. Yeap, that seemed like an excellent idea. Straightening her jacket and tie, she walked towards the front door. Upon opening the door and turning the lights on a loud "Surprise" reverberated through the house almost giving her a heart attack. After that one by one, all her friends and family started coming towards the hall.

"I can't believe you did that again." Emma chuckled as her girlfriend approached her, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"And I can't believe you fell for that again." Regina teased, hugging the blonde woman. "Happy 39th Birthday my love. I must say, almost forty looks good on you."

"Not as good as it looks on you babe," Emma said smoothly earning a blush from the other woman.

"Easy there tiger, we have guests." And boy guests did they have.; Everyone was there; but most importantly her three sons. Emma let an excited squeal once she noticed her older son standing there, looking professional with his glasses and his vest and tie. He had grown up to become a handsome young man. He was tall, taller than his grandfathers, with neatly cut hair and a smile on his face. He had also gained some muscles, being all athletic and stuff, as he had been enrolled in most of his college team sports.

"Happy Birthday mom," Henry said while hugging his mother tightly.

"Henry...when did you come home?" Emma said with a huge smile on her face. Oh, how she missed her son. They might have had their ups and downs during his teenage years but when he left for college, three years ago, Emma had cried more than Regina. She had made him promise that he'd visit them at least every weekend making both him and Regina roll their eyes. "It's not like I'm moving to Madagascar" He had said. The boy decided to pursue his passion and become a writer and neither of his moms had a problem with that. If that made him happy then they were happy too.

"Just.." He looked at his wristwatch "An hour ago. I had classes all morning and I couldn't leave earlier. But I'm staying for a week." He said with a beam.

"That's wonderful, Hen," Emma replied, her eyes red with unshed tears.

"Happy Birthday Mrs Swan." Ella cut in while hugging the other woman. And of course, Henry would have an amazing woman by his side. They had met in the first year of college and they clicked immediately. She was studying marketing and when Regina found out she was Latina, she was all over the moon. Of course, the fact that she was a brilliant young lady helped her a lot to be accepted in their little family instantly. Regina wouldn't admit it out loud but she was secretly planning their wedding along with Mary Margaret.

Next in line for the wishes was her middle son, Colin. The now sixteen-year-old boy, over the years, became the rebel of the family, giving headaches to his mothers almost every day. With each passing year, he was becoming more and more sarcastic to the point that neither Emma nor Regina dared talk to him for fear of ending up at the wrong side of the stick. He was also the heartbreaker of the family; Henry would call him a "man-whore" as every week would come home with a different boyfriend something that in the beginning bothered his mothers but now would simply roll their eyes.

"Happy Birthday ma," The boy said in his deep voice as he towered over Emma hugging her tight. He was even taller than Henry and in his eyes, there was a hint of guyliner.

"Thank you, my Prince," Emma said teasingly, making Colin's ears turn pink.

"Mom.." He whined before a cough interrupted him. "Ah yes...And here's Oliver. You guys have met before." The boy introduced.

"Happy Birthday Mrs Swan." The boy said.

"A guy that lasted more than a week. Impressive." Henry mumbled making Emma crackle a laugh.

"Shut up dude," Colin said as he punched Henry in the arm but Henry's athletic build along with Colin's week blow didn't even manage to move Henry from his spot.

Last but not least in the line of birthday wishes was her youngest son; The boy had just hit puberty, being twelve and all, but he was as shy and quiet as he was before that. He had some close friends and he was at the top of his class. He still liked superhero movies and he had become such a fanboy making his mothers drive him every July to comic con.

"Happy Birthday mama," Ezra said as he hugged his mother. He hadn't gained much height, compared to Colin and Henry's growth spurt, and Emma and Regina were thankful for that. They could still pretend that he was their little boy.

"Thank you Bubbah" Emma replied. Despite being twelve years old, everyone kept calling him Bubbah. The boy wouldn't complain most of the times but this one time that Regina called him like that in front of his friends the world war three broke out.

"Come on, love you have a lot of greeting to do today," Regina informed as she guided her girlfriend further inside.

The first that came to wish her happy birthday were her parents. Emma could never fathom why her parents with each year looked younger and younger. They were both in their middle sixties but they both looked like they were at Emma's age. She hoped that when she'll be at their age she'll look as young as they do.

"Happy Birthday Princess," David said as he enveloped his only daughter in a strong hug.

"Thanks, daddy," Emma said as she moved on to her mother who also wished her happy birthday along with a request for another grandchild. " _As if having five grandchildren wasn't enough"_ Emma mused inwardly.

"I hope in my forties, I look as young as you look" Nate joked as he hugged his sister "Happy birthday sis."

"You're only two years younger than me dude." Emma laughed at her brother's cheekiness while taking Nate's three-year-old son, David, in her arms.

"Hey, big guy." She said as she tickled his belly earning a squeal from the toddler.

"Hi, Aunt Em." The boy giggled. Emma blew him a raspberry kiss on the cheek before letting him back on the floor. Elsa, who was six months pregnant with their second son, also wished her happy birthday.

Of course, next in line were the Lucas-French family. Her best friend Ruby and her wife Belle along with their twin daughters Destiny and Riley didn't live in Boston anymore as Ruby had opened a restaurant, one of the bests, in Florida. They would visit though as often as they could and almost every summer Emma and Regina would spend at least a week on the Lucas-French household either with their sons or alone.

"Marriage looks good on you, Rubes," Emma said appraisingly while kissing her best friend's cheeks.

"And not being married looks good on you too, Ems" Ruby teased.

"How long are you staying?" Emma asked curiously. She had missed her best friend and her two nieces and since she had a week off she wished the brunette woman stayed a few days around to catch up.

"Only for the weekend," Ruby said with a small smile.

"Great, we should arrange something, then," Emma said with a bright smile as she moved on to the next person. However, a loud growl from her stomach stopped her from doing so.

"Well, as you all heard I'm starving so birthday wishes will have to wait for after the dinner," Emma said, making everyone in the room laugh.

Regina and Emma guided the guests in the dining room where Regina had surpassed herself. She had made a big buffet of Emma's favourite dishes, making Emma's stomach growl louder at the sight of all this delicious food. A big cake was in the middle of the dining table with "Happy Birthday Emma" being written in calligraphy on the top of the cake. Regina quickly lit the candles and they sang the birthday song even quicker before they all sat down for dinner.

A small talk started between the occupants of the table. Besides Emma's family and friends, there were also Regina's; Henry senior and Cora were as elegant as ever. They have both stopped teaching and attending the hospital years ago as they wanted to spend more time with their growing family. Graham, with his wife Anastasia, was also there. Their wedding took place six months after Nate's but they only managed to conceive after five years. Their daughter, Athena, was 11 months old so they chose not to bring her with them. Instead, Ana's mother, who happened to be in town, offered to babysit for them. Regina's sister Zelena with her fiance wouldn't of course miss Emma's birthday. Chad was a few years younger than the redhaired woman but with his wit and smart humour captured her heart immediately. They got engaged two months after starting seeing each other but they haven't decided yet to take the big step and tie the knot. Her parents would argue with her, telling that she wasn't getting any younger but Zelena would shrug it off. Only after her father's minor heart attack, which shook the whole family, did she set a date for the wedding, this being the next summer.

And last but not least, Regina's two best friends wouldn't miss it for the world; Kathryn with her husband Fred and their five-year-old Ariana as well as Mal with her wife and daughter were between the occupants. Yes, Mal and Regina might have dated once upon a time and their split had caused them not to see each other for a long time but since that time they bumped into each other, they decided to give their friendship another try.

"So Henry.." Cora began with her oldest grandson "Now, that you're officially out of college what are you planning to do?" She asked curiously.

"Glad you asked grandma. Well, I'm planning on writing a book with fairytales. And before you say that this is for kids and lame let me tell you that is going to be quite different. What I mean is what if Snow White and Prince Charming had a daughter? And what if the Evil Queen vowed to cursed every fairytale character into living in our world, away from their happy ending? And what if their daughter was destined to break that curse? I'm going to write a book with fairytales but not in any conventional way. There will, of course, be our favourite characters in it but with some twists. " He said enthusiastically.

"Henry, that is an amazing idea!" Regina exclaimed. "How did you come up with that?" She asked her son with a proud smile on her face.

"Well, most of our family inspired me, to be honest. I mean grandpa David and grandma MM are the epitome of true love. That kind of makes them Snow White and Prince Charming and you, mom..." He said while pointing at Emma " are their daughter and the Savior"

"And who am I in your story, Henry Mills? Ella said flirtingly.

"You are my Cinderella of course." He said while kissing her forehead.

"And what about mom, Hen?" Colin said with a mouthful of food.

"The Evil Queen," Henry revealed and Emma immediately started laughing.

"Henry David Mills!" Regina chided while her whole face turned pink with embarrassment.

"Come on mom. It has nothing to do with you being evil or something like that. I mean yes the evil queen, of course, is going to be evil but she'll change for her son and for her true love." He nodded towards his other mother.

"The Queen and the Savior huh? I like it." Emma winked at her son.

"At least tell me I didn't become evil because I was jealous of Snow White," Regina said mortified.

"No, no" Henry chuckled. "I mean yes, she did play a major role in your backstory but it has nothing to do with who's the fairest of them all. My characters aren't going to be that vain. They'll be multi-layered with real-life people problems." He said proudly.

"Well, in that case, I can't wait to read it." Regina smiled at her son

They continue eating in silence, mostly, with the occupants of the table often engaging in small talk.

After dinner, they all moved in the living room where Regina served some coffee, tea or wine.

"Emma dear," Regina said to catch her girlfriend's attention who was talking with Henry.

"Yes, babe."

"Come here, I have a surprise for you." She said as she did the come hither motion.

"Oh?" Emma said suggestively once she was next to her wife.

"Not like that." Regina rolled her eyes. "At least not now." She winked. "The surprise is behind that door," Regina said while pointing at the front door.

"I swear Regina if it's another dog, I'm leaving." She joked.

"No, love sadly it's not another dog. But open the door to find out." She said before leaving the hall.

Emma's curiosity took the best of her and before realizing it she opened the door, coming face to face with a shorter blonde woman and a much taller brunette.

"Oh my god, Jane!" Emma exclaimed in surprise before crushing the other woman in a tight hug.

"Happy Birthday Miss Swan," Jane said while hugging the other woman back.

"How, when?" The blonde asked when they pulled away.

"Well, Regina called me last week telling me about her plans on throwing you a surprise party. We haven't seen each other for almost two years and we thought that coming to Boston for your birthday was the best opportunity. So here we are." She said with a huge smile.

And yes, after everything that had happened between Jane, Emma and Regina the three women managed, with the passage of time, to become great friends. In the beginning, Regina was a bit hesitant when Jane would come in Boston and spend time with Emma but after giving it a lot of thought she decided that it hasn't had to be a bad blood between them. Jane was a great woman and friend and if anything Regina kinda thanked her. If it wasn't for her, their marriage would be over and non-fixable. Plus, if Emma could be okay with her being friends with Mal, Regina would have to try and do the same for her and Jane.

"And oh my god you're pregnant," Emma said in shock making Jane and Regina, who just appeared next to Emma, laugh.

"Yeah, I'm not due for another month but a boy Smith-Prince is on his way." She said while looking lovingly at the brunette woman next to her.

"Ah, you must be Diana. Jane has told me a lot about you. Nice to finally meet you." Emma said while giving her hand to the other woman.

"Nice to meet you too Emma," Diana said with a smile. Emma suddenly turned around to look Regina in the eye.

"Did you know about this?" She asked accusingly.

"About the baby? Of course dear. I've known since the day she found out. She called me, panic laced in her voice, telling me that even though the pregnancy was controlled she didn't know how to raise a baby. I spent at least half an hour reminding her how great she was with Colin and Ezra, with a patient in the examination room I may add." Regina informed earning a chuckle from the couple.

"Well, need I remind you that when I babysat Ezra he was eight? He even knew how to cook." She said jokingly.

"And I told you that you are going to be great dear because you'll have us by your side," Regina said reassuringly making Jane go all teary.

"Stupid hormones," she said as she wiped her tears away. Emma let her and Diana inside before adding. "Oh and I'm not taking no for an answer but you're staying with us as long as you're staying in Boston."

"Absolutely" Regina agreed.

"Regina we can't" Jane protested "Henry is back in town with his girlfriend. We don't want to impose."

"You're not. We have plenty of room for both of you and the boys wouldn't mind having you here. And as Emma said we are not taking no for answer." Regina said with a finality in her voice.

"Jane, Henry's writing a book about fairytales inspired by our family," Ezra shouted as he ran to hug her. Ezra loved Jane. When she would come to town they would spend a great amount of time together and Regina was pretty sure that the boy had an innocent crush on her just like all the Swan family had at some point.

"Oh, and who will I be in your book?" She asked as she took a seat next to Ezra.

"Jane from Tarzan," Henry said cheekily.

"And Diana?"

"I guess that makes her Tarzan." He teased earning a laugh from Jane and Diana.

"I'm sure it's going to be a great book, Hen," Jane said encouragingly before engaging in conversation with Ezra who refused to let anyone else spend more time with her.

"Emma" Regina whispered from behind Emma's back.

"Yes, babe?"

"Come with me." She said before taking Emma's hand in hers.

"Is this another surprise of yours?" She asked curiously.

"Sort of," Regina replied as she guided Emma outside in the backyard. The moment they set foot outside, Emma's mouth opened in awe. Regina had decorated the whole thing with Christmas lights, along with some candles while a picnic cloth was laying on the grass along with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

"What is this Gina?" She whispered.

"Our private celebration." She winked whiled sitting down and Emma followed her example.

"And don't worry, Henry knows so he won't let anyone come outside. This is our "me and you" time" Regina reassured before pouring some of the sparkling liquid inside the two glasses.

"Happy Birthday my dear Emma," Regina said before clinking the two glasses together.

"Happy Birthday to me," Emma said.

They sat for a few minutes in silence. Emma could see Regina's gears working so she asked.

"What are you thinking babe?"

"Us." She said softly.

"Oh?" Emma said confused.

"Our past, our present, our future...everything."

"In a good or in a bad way?"

"In a good. How we fell in love, how we forgot loving each other, our divorce, our reconciliation, the past five years together and well what the future holds."

"How do you imagine our future together?" Emma asked.

"With our three kids, their wives and husbands and a bunch of grandchildren. Oh and a few more dogs I guess." Regina said as she let her head rest on Emma's shoulder. Emma chuckled softly making Regina turn and look at her confused.

"Once Jane asked me if our story would have a happy ending." Emma elaborated.

"And? Does it have?"

"Of course it has, baby. If we were in a cheeky rom-com this would be the time when the narrator would say "And they lived happily ever after." Because you Regina Mills are my happy ending."

"And you are mine, Emma Swan. Alway and forever."


End file.
